Fang's Embrace
by BurningPeace
Summary: Ruby is a young wolf Faunus with exceptional skill, wishing to become a huntress and improve the world for all. Weiss hopes to make a name for herself, not live by the one her family has created. Blake hopes to met her savior and bring peace to the Faunus. Yang searches for inner peace. Will they be able to prevail, or will darkness prevail over them? M for Violence/Sexual Content.
1. Explosive First Day

Ruby Rose sat among the trees with the moon high above her, simply enjoying the peace. She closed her eyes and breathed deep as the smells of nature embraced her. She allowed her ears to perked up as she listened to the sound of flowing water from the nearby fountain, letting its serenity wash over her. While it couldn't quite match the untamed wilds, the lack of Grimm gave the garden sense of calm that was hard for most places to achieve.

Not that Grimm could sneak up on her. Despite her relaxed state, her Faunus senses were still acutely aware of everything around her. She knew where every tree in the garden was as their leaves rustled in the breeze. She knew of all the students that had passed by her unaware, chatting away without a care in the world. She knew about the group of squirrels a short distance away, about the birds settling in the nest, and about the brute who was currently trying to sneak up on her.

"Touch my ears and I'm going to cut your hair in your sleep Yang," Ruby called out without opening her eyes.

Yang Xiao Long froze with her hand outstretched, unsure if she was willing to take the risk. As tempting as it was to continue, Yang thought it best not to push it. They both had a long day ahead of them, and it would be unwise to force herself to stay up all night just to protect her hair from her sister.

"What gave me away?" Yang sighed as she sat next to Ruby.

"Where should I start?" Ruby pondered as she rubbed her chin. "There was the twig you stepped on about 20 feet back, your grunt as you walked straight into that branch, and we can't forget that poor squirrel you scared away."

Yang just shook her head. "It's that damn wolf hearing of yours. It's no fun when I can never sneak up on you."

"That and I could smell your hair conditioner as soon as you stepped into the garden," Ruby added with a smirk.

"Why are you out here anyways sis? We got a big day tomorrow and I know how you get without sleep," Yang said, choosing to ignore that last detail.

Ruby's smile faded and she sighed as she recalled the day's events.

* * *

><p>Ruby stood in awe as she gazed upon Beacon for the first time. She had seen pictures, but none of them did the school justice. The magnificent arches and towering, well, towers, all but took her breath away. The only thing that managed to tear her attention away from the school was the waves of students that walked by, each carrying their own unique weapon. Pistol-Daggers, Sword-Shotguns, a couple Bazooka-Bats, she even saw a Claymore-Assault Rifle. Ruby feigned dizziness, leaning back for Yang to catch her.<p>

But the support never came. Ruby has been so enthralled that she hadn't noticed when Yang had run off with friends from her class, leaving Ruby alone to topple backwards. Before Ruby could regain balance, she fell straight back onto a cart, loaded to the brim with heavy duty cases.

"What are you doing?! Do you have any idea the damage you could have caused?!"

The owner of the angry voice stood right in front of Ruby, impatiently tapping their foot. 'Who is this person, and how did they manage to sneak up on me in heels?' was the first thought to come to Ruby's mind. 'Why would they even be wearing heels to begin with?' Ruby couldn't even begin to imagine confining herself to anything so uncomfortable.

Ruby mumbled her apologies as she raised her head, making sure to keep her ears pinned down to her head. Luck for her, the dark fur on her ears blended perfectly with her hair, concealing them from all but the most observant of eyes. She wasn't ashamed of her Faunus heritage, but she was more than aware of the prejudices that people tended displayed towards her and her kind. Now she just had to hope that this person, who was now in mid-lecture about whatever was in the cases, didn't notice what lay just beneath her hair.

By the time that Ruby actually looked at the face in front of her, she had already lost interest in whatever it was they were scolding her about. Her interest, however, was suddenly rekindled when took a closer look at the girl that stood before her. Her clothing was normal enough for Beacon, a white combat skirt, white shirt and a white jacket with a red lining. However, in Ruby's 18 years of living, she had never seen a more beautiful person. The near-flawless skin and the snow-white hair quickly caught her attention, but what held it were the piercing blue eyes. Even filled with anger as they were, Ruby felt that she could stare into them for days. The only imperfection that Ruby could find was the scar that ran over left eye, but even it seemed to contribute to the overall majesty of the face.

The entire time that Ruby was admiring her, the beauty continued to berate her, shaking around a small vile she had received from the case that now lay at her feet. Ruby finally started to listen only to hear the word Dust before her nose started to tingle.

'Oh no," was Ruby's only thought as she noticed the faint haze of red floating around her. 'This is gonna hurt.'

The resulting explosion could be heard across the campus, causing many to wonder what was happening. None, however, cared enough to check it out. Such noises were common place here, as students constantly trained with and maintained their weapons. The shouting that followed, however, was enough to capture the intrigue of one cat Faunus.

* * *

><p>"Wait, so you literally exploded?" Yang interrupted. "I thought that you were just being sarcastic earlier."<p>

"No, Yang, I blew up. I managed, on my first day here, to cause an explosion at the steps of our school. I don't think I'll be able to live this one down."

"Relax, sis, I'm sure that no one even knows it was you and that white girl. And I doubt that she's going to brag about it any time soon."

"I doubt she'll say anything, but someone else definitely knows. So if you're done, I can finish telling you why I just needed to get away."

* * *

><p>Ruby just stood still in shock, as the flames around her finally subsided. The entire time, the girl in white had never once stopped shouting. Even after Ruby's attempt to say sorry, the girl never once lost her steam, proceeding to call Ruby's a dolt, dunce, moron, and everything in between. Eventually, Ruby had enough.<p>

"I said I was sorry, Princess!"

That stopped the girl in her tracks. Her face said that no one had every once dared talk to her like that, and by the way that she was acting, that was more than likely true.

Thankfully, the silence was finally broken by a third party, who had been quietly observing up until that point.

"Its heiress, actually," came the calm voice, breaking the sudden silence that had fallen between the two. "This is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company and the one who is to inherit the Schnee legacy."

"Finally, some recognition," Weiss triumphantly declared.

However, the tables soon turned as the new stranger started to list of the countless atrocities the Schnee Dust Company had committed against its workers, particularly the Faunus. Ruby was already more than aware of the Schnee Corporation and their recent mishaps, so she instead found herself focusing on this new arrival. Dressed in black, this girl confidently glided forward, with the grace of a hunter cornering its prey. Her amber eyes glowed with that same confidence, while the smirk on her face showed that she had Weiss right where she wanted her.

The woman before her was clearly a beauty, so why was it that Ruby didn't find herself gazing at her as she had at this Weiss girl. They were equally matched in looks, so what put one above the other? A gentle breeze carried the answer for Ruby. Cat. A wolfish smile crept across her face as Ruby recognized the distinct sment. Ruby personally didn't have a problem with cat Faunus, but cats and dogs, or in this case, wolves, still tended to oppose each other.

By the time Ruby finally focused back to the argument at hand, the girl in white had already turned and stormed off. Ruby noted that even angry as she was, she still seemed to walk with a refined grace. Ruby and the other Faunus turned to face each other at the same time, a smile dancing on the new girls lips.

"Sorry to cut in their little pup, I just saw my opportunity and took it."

Ruby continued to smile as she replied, "Sounds just like a cat. You see the dog with a new toy and you have to get your fill."

"You don't know how right you are. My name's Blake. Good to see another Faunus in our class, even if it is a wolf like you," Blake commented with a sly smile.

Ruby hesitated for a moment before replying. "Am I that obvious? I'm Ruby, and yeah, you caught me, I'm a wolf Faunus. Like the bow, by the way, looks far more comfortable than keeping your ears pinned down."

"Everyone has their own method," Blake replied with a shrug before turning away. "I need to go, but I'll see you around pup."

"My name is Ruby, not pup! Remember that kitty," Ruby shouted back. She then quickly looked around, making sure that she didn't give away both their secrets in one go. Satisfied that no one was around, she began to make her way towards the center buildings.

* * *

><p>"So what does any of that have to do with my little wolf cub of a sister sitting out in the garden when she should be inside getting ready for tomorrow?" Yang pressed at the end of the story. Ruby had left the part about Blake being a Faunus out of her story, keeping it as a fond memory. She had simply told Yang her name. It was Blake's call on who to reveal her Faunus identity to, not Ruby's, even if it was Yang.<p>

"You didn't let me finish, but I guess that's good enough. Long story short, I just needed to get out for a bit before I went back in there," Ruby trailed off.

"They assigned you the cot right next to that Weiss girl, didn't they?" Yang guessed.

"Yup. I'm trying to get myself as much relaxation as I can before I go in there to get yelled at by her once again," Ruby confirmed.

'That and that room smells completely of cat. She hasn't even been there that long and she has already filled the room to the brim with her scent,' Ruby thought to herself.

Yang simply laughed at the thought. "I'm sure she's cooled down by now, so you have nothing to fear little sis. I, however, want to meet this Blake girl. Sound like just my type," Yang added as a devilish smile crossed her face.

"Yang, according to you, everyone is your type," Ruby said as she smiled at the thought of her aggressive sister trying to hold a conversation Blake. Her smile grew wider as she thought of all the ways that the cat Faunus would toy with Yang.

Then Ruby picked up on what Yang had said. "Wait, what happened to the last one? I thought you already had a boy toy?"

"We broke up," Yang said without a care in the world. "Something about me not being worth the effort or whatever."

'Its only been a week,' was all Ruby could think. 'I swear you burn through boyfriends and girlfriends faster than people chew gum.'

Yang suddenly stood and put her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Well, come on sis, we should head back, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, what with initiation and all that."

"I suppose your right," Ruby replied with a sigh. The moon still called to her, but she knew that it was time for her to call it a night. Taking one final deep breath, she turned and followed her sister back to the common hall where the first years would be spending the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Weiss<strong>

Weiss lay in her cot, thinking back over the day's events. One scene, however, kept rising to the surface, as much as Weiss had wanted to ignore it.

'Just who was that girl? She looked too young to be a student here, but I guess anything is possible.' Weiss continued to ponder what had happened earlier in the day, until she suddenly found herself smiling. Why would she be smiling? That explosion earlier almost cut her trip to Beacon much shorter than she had anticipated. That should have made her madder than hell, yet her she was, smiling like an idiot.

"How did this even happen," Weiss wondered aloud as she played through the events in her head one more time.

* * *

><p>Weiss stepped off of the airship with an air of confidence. She was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and soon she would be a huntress in training. She felt herself crack a smile as she looked out on the campus. This would be her home. Her escape from the media. Her release from her parents. Her safe haven from her uncle and his insane ravings about the Faunus. Here, she could was free to live as she wished, instead of by a strict code laid out for her.<p>

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and walked towards the courtyard, looking to take in the sights before she started her new life. She expected to see a beautiful grove of trees and the path leading to the famous campus garden, but she instead found herself gazing at a strange girl bouncing around excitedly. With each student that passed, she seemed to get more and more energetic, eventually squealing as a large boy with a massive weapon strapped to his back walked by. This only made Weiss more confused, as the boy was nothing special to look at. Weiss was about to ask if this girl was going to be okay, but lost all train of thought when she finally caught a glimpse of her face. She was indeed younger, but it couldn't be more than a couple years difference. Her black hair was tipped red, which seemed to match her outfit and cloak perfectly. But what stopped Weiss in her tracks were her eyes. The silver orbs were filled with excitement as the darted around, seeking out newer and better things. The wonderment that they held was something very foreign to her, something unexpected. When Weiss had finally recovered from her initial shock, the young girl suddenly toppled backwards, straight into the cart carrying all of Weiss's Dust.

"What are you doing?! Do you have any idea the damage you could have caused?!" Weiss shouted, her previous trance now shattered. The girl mumbled sorry as she slowly stood, but Weiss wasn't done with her yet. "You could have blown us all away with that little stunt! This is Dust!"

Weiss was rewarded with a blank stare, and this only angered her further. 'How was it that you amazed me with your excitement a second ago,' Weiss thought, 'and then you turn around and pull this moronic stunt?' Weiss pick a vile out of the case to ensure it was okay, and then turned back to the young girl before her.

"Do you have any idea how volatile dust is?! Especially in its powdered form!" Weiss continued to lecture the girl. "You do know what Dust is right? The purest form of energy? Our source of elemental control? Is this getting through to you at all?!"

As Weiss lectured the girl before her, she shook the vile in her face, hoping to get the point across. As Weiss finally started to calm down, she noted the red haze that had surrounded them. 'Damn, looks like the seal on this canister broke.' That's when the younger girl sneezed.

The resulting explosion only managed re-igniting Weiss's anger. "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Weiss shouted. When the young girl mumbled apologies, Weiss was too angry to even hear it. "Did you even realize what you could have done you dolt! You could have ignited all the dust I have in these cases, and then we wouldn't be standing here! Only a moron like you would sneeze directly into a cloud of dust! How can you be a student at this school yet still be such a dunce?! Just what were you thinking?!" Weiss continued on like this for a least a minute. Usually yelling like that helped her feel better in the end, as a way to release all the stress caused by her family. And while she did feel less angry, she definitely didn't feel any better. 'Maybe is should apologize.' Weiss thought as she faced the younger girl again. Before Weiss could even open her mouth, however, she found herself on the receiving end of a sharp tongue.

"I said I was sorry, Princess!" Weiss froze to the spot. No one beside her family had ever dared talk to her like that. While there were far worst things to call her, this was still a new experience for her. Unsure of how to react, Weiss just stood there transfixed until a third voice entered the fray.

"Its heiress, actually. This is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company and the one who is to inherit the Schnee legacy."

Weiss turned to see a girl clad in black and wearing a black bow walking toward them. 'Finally, an out,' was all that crossed Weiss's mind. The younger girls seemed enthralled with the newcomer, so Weiss turned away from her and acknowledged the new player. "Finally, some recognition."

What Weiss wasn't expecting, however, was this new girl to immediately start drudging up every bad thing that her parent's company had done. All the recent incidents with the Faunus workers, her father's recent involvement in the slave market, even the recent factory fire that had killed quite a few people. This girl seemed to know about all of it, and was now using it against Weiss.

"I don't have to deal with this," Weiss said angrily as she turned and walked away. What the other girls didn't hear was Weiss's crestfallen mumble, "I'm not my family, so why does everyone keep comparing me to them. I thought this place was going to be different."

* * *

><p>Weiss shook her head as the sad thought returned once again. She wasn't her family. She was her own person, and she was here to prove that. She would prove that girl wrong. This place would be different. Weiss wasn't the one that would cause more sadness, she would be the one the end it. She would take all that she learned here and make the world a better place.<p>

Her train of thought was broken when the door to the common area opened once again. When Weiss rolled on her side to get a better view, she saw the blond that had left earlier walked in, followed shortly by a girl in a red hood. Weiss felt her stomach drop, as she recognized the girl in red as the girl that had exploded earlier in the day. Embarrassed, Weiss lay back down and closed her eyes, hoping they wouldn't come her way.

Much to her disdain, the girl in red walked right up to the cot next to hers and sat down. 'That just had to be my luck. This girl, who probably already hates, just had to be assigned the cot right next to mine. Guess I'm not making any friends tonight.'

"You just gonna pretend that I'm not here, Princess?" Weiss's eyes shot opened as amazement coursed through her.

"I just figured you wouldn't want to talk to me after what happened earlier. Especially after you found out who I was, and what my parents have done," Weiss's voice trailed off.

"Everyone has bad days, so don't worry about it," came the chipper reply. "I could honestly care less about what your families company has done. I already knew about all of that. I'll make my own decision about you."

A smile crept across Weiss's face. Perhaps tonight wasn't a total loss after all. Weiss sat up and faced the girl across from her. "In that case, my name's Weiss. And you are?"

"Ruby Rose. A pleasure to properly meet you Weiss Schnee," Ruby said as she stretched out her hand. Weiss took it and looked the younger girl in the eyes.

She didn't know how long they sat and talked after that, or even what they talked about, and she didn't care. When Weiss finally lay down to go to sleep, she did it with a smile on her face and those silver eyes on her mind. What she didn't know was the same smile was plastered on the face of the girl that lay in the next cot over.


	2. Darkness Inside

**Wow, just wow. I can't even find the right words right now for my thoughts. This is my first story, and I never expected 41 followers just after chapter 1. Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you continue to enjoy it. Just a couple quick notes. A couple people asked, and yes, Ruby is 18. I'm setting this world where everyone else is 20 and Ruby is 18. Just for me, personally, it would be weird writing about a 15 year old in a M-rated story. The second is that, fair warning, my posting of chapters probably won't be consistent. I'm a chemical engineering major, so the workload can get crazy, and I'm already working out of my element on this, so there's that. Other than that, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Blake<strong>

"Just who is the Reaper? It's almost been three years since the interrogation of a White Fang member revealed the existence of a vigilante, preying on the criminal underworld. This Reaper has been reported roaming the streets of several major cities, stopping any crimes they find. Be it petty muggings or a dust store robbery, no criminal has been safe once the Reaper finds them."

The sound of the news report playing slowly dragged Blake from her rest. She slowly sat up, arching her back as she stretched. Squinting at the light, she slowly looked around to see where the sound was coming from. Several students gathered around a monitor not far from where she slept, staring intently as the headline 'Who is the Reaper' as an investigative reporter walked across the screen.

"No one has seen the face of this vigilante, nor can they even tell if it is a man or woman. Most are knocked unconscious before ever noticing the Reaper, only to reawaken handcuffed at the police station. Of course, the fact that they are waking up at all is no mistake. Despite using violence to achieve their goals, the Reaper has yet to kill a criminal. Using hand to hand combat techniques that have yet to be determined, the Reaper manages to incapacitation the criminals without causing lethal damage. However, this only appears to be their preferred method. It is on record that the Reaper has used gunfire to stop getaway vehicles and disable hover-copters, yet no evidence has been found as to what type of gun they use, or even if said gun fires regular bullets. Some authorities speculate that the Reaper uses high impact red dust rounds, similar to huntsmen, to incapacitate targets and disable their vehicles. As of now, there is no way to tell."

'Not this story again,' was all Blake could think. The Reaper wasn't news. They had been a prominent underworld figure for quite some time, far longer than the media had known about them. They believed that the Reaper had been cleaning the streets for 3 years, but this was nowhere near the truth. The Reaper had been terrorizing criminal organizations for well over than twice that long, always sticking to the shadows, never once slipping up. What the media was fascinated with was their known attacks against the White Fang. Before the Reaper, no one else could keep up with the Faunus Liberation group, until 6 years ago when the vigilante caught them in their sights. Always seeming to know where the White Fang would strike, the Reaper would be waiting to foil the plot, completely ignoring the decoys meant to throw off authorities. The war between the White Fang and the Reaper would likely never reach the publics ear, but Blake's personal history with the Reaper is something she would never forget.

* * *

><p>When the vigilante had first emerged, the White Fang wrote the Reaper off as a nuisance. For two years, the White Fang had been running their operations unopposed. They were still able to achieve the goals, albeit much slower than they would have liked, despite this new thorn in their side. But the Reaper's tactics were ever evolving, causing more and more problems, until three years ago when they single handedly cleared out a White Fang hide out. The Reaper had delivered all the White Fang members and their sizable weapons cache to the police station in the back of two semis, leaving only a set of video clips as evidence that linked them to the White Fang's recent robberies. Yet not a shred of evidence remained as to who the Reaper was, or if they were even the one responsible. That is, none except for the witness that the Reaper had intentionally saved for last. The one that would tell the story, the beginning of the fall of the White Fang.<p>

"They were a shadow," the member had shakily told the police, "moving faster than I could keep track of. I saw them take down three guards faster than I could blink. Then they disappeared again, without a trace. Moments later, all the member's in the facility were taken out, all before I could even raise my voice in alarm. I only caught glimpses of them as they worked, not that it mattered. They stayed in the shadows, and wore a cloak with a cowl to cover their face. They saved me for last. They walked up to me, gliding like they didn't even touch the ground, like they were a reaper or something. They spoke through a voice disguiser, and told me 'Now tell the world what you saw here, and that the White Fang will be stopped.' Why they wanted me to witness this, I don't know. All I know is that if they ever decide that turning people over to you isn't enough, there will be no stopping them. The way that they spoke, the way they walked, I could tell that, if they wanted to, they could kill us all."

Somehow, the interrogation had been leaked to the media, and they had a field day. Some called the vigilante a hero, a savior to the people, doing what the police couldn't or wouldn't. Some others called them a criminal, no better than the White Fang. They all agreed on one thing, though. Coining the term that the terrified crony had used, they began to call the vigilante, the Reaper.

After that, Blake had been tasked with finding out who this vigilante was. "A shadow to catch a shadow," is what they had told her. Unfortunately for the White Fang, Blake had long since given up on the organization, and now only hoped to find a way out. Now she had found one. The Reaper seemed to be the only one who could beat the White Fang at their game of shadows. They would be the only one that could get her away from this life. Only that meeting never happened. Despite her best efforts, despite all her hard work, she never caught up to the Reaper. The Reaper even knew that she was on their tail, leaving behind little treats at the safe houses that Blake busted into. The chase was nothing more than a game to the vigilante, the mouse tricking the foolish cat. As much as this little display had upset Blake, she couldn't help but admire the Reaper.

The Reaper had always maintained a distance from Blake, until one day, when she broke into yet another empty apartment. After confirming it was empty, Blake began to search for the note that the Reaper would have, without a doubt, left for her. The vigilante had become more playful of late, hiding the note in places that only Blake would think to look, or buying pointless things for Blake to hide along with their message. Despite never once meeting, the Reaper had come to know Blake extremely well, as if they always had one eye on her, and the other on their goal. After a quick search of the apartment, she found a single envelope with her name on it, placed under a pouch of hickory smoked tuna and a fork, hidden in a drawer filled with unused underwear. All Blake's size. With a small smile and a shake of her head, Blake took to the tuna over to the table and sat down. 'Might as well enjoy the free tuna,' Blake thought before looking over the envelope. While the Reaper had left small notes before, usually teasing her, this was significantly thicker. When she finished the tuna, she tore into the envelope and emptied the contents.

But what came tumbling out was beyond Blake's wildest dreams. It was a letter addressed to her, but it wasn't in its usual hand-written form. This was an official letter, typed out and printed on an official letterhead that read "Beacon Academy" along the top of the page. Blake's heart stopped as she recognized the name, but she forced herself to keep reading.

"Dear Miss Belladonna, we have received your application, and while it was lacking, to say the least, in multiple sections, the video files you provided along with your letter of recommendation prove you more than worthy. As such, we have chosen to go against protocol and allow you to take the final entrance exam, in order to make sure that you truly are as capable as you seem," Blake read aloud with a shocked expression. But this didn't make any sense. Sure, it was her dream to attend the Academy, but she had never told anyone that. She had never sent an application or a video file, knowing the background check would immediately flag her as White Fang. Just what had they received? And why had they ignored the flag that they had to have received? Turning to the next page answered the first question. There was a scanned copy of her application to file away, filled out with that familiar hand writing. A small smile crept along her face as she noticed that the application was indeed lacking in content. Most of the past information was missing, and none of the requested physical information had been filled out, so whatever video the Reaper had send must have been very compelling. That, or the letter of recommendation. Then Blake froze. Letter of recommendation? Just who would write a letter of recommendation for her? Had it been the Reaper? Just what kind of influence did this person have? Is that why they ignored the fact that she was tagged as a terrorist?

Blake turned to the final page, once again finding that smooth handwriting. 'As you can see, I sent an application to Beacon on your behalf. I saw you staring at a couple students in uniform as they left a dust shop a few months back. It's pretty obvious what you want. While I have never met you, I can tell you will never muster the courage to do this yourself, so I had to take action. I know you have been following me in hopes to escape the White Fang, so here is your chance. Go to Beacon, become a huntress. This apartment has no lease, and the deed is in the drawer next to the sink. It's yours now. Let this be your home up until you leave for Beacon and whenever you need it after that. The final entrance exam is two months from today, and you had better be there. This application wasn't cheap, and I would hate for you to lose your chance. I wish you the best of luck in your future. Signed, the Reaper. P.S. I made sure this apartment isn't linked to either of us, but keep an eye out for your White Fang friends just in case. I would hate to have to avenge you.'

Blake didn't know how to react. Part of her wanted to just sit there and weep with joy, while another wanted to just start laughing. So she did both. Long into the night, Blake sat in the chair, tears streaking down her face as she laughed. It was the first time she had laughed in a long time, and it felt good to let it out. Her dream was going to come true. She was going to become a huntress. Perhaps finally, she could finally change the world for the better. She slept well that night. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she had a home.

* * *

><p>That had been three months ago, and finally, here she was, standing on the campus that had only existed in her dreams, and with keys to the home she never imagined having in her back pocket. A smile crept across her face as she looked out over the courtyard and shook her head with amazement. 'I did it Reaper. I made it to Beacon. One day I will graduate from here and become a huntress. When that day comes, I will resume the search for you. Together, we will end the White Fang's misguided sense of justice. Until that day comes, don't let them beat you. I want to meet my savior in person, and would hate to have to avenge you.' With that thought, Blake turned and started towards the cliffs, ready to begin her life as a huntress.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Yang<strong>

Yang stood with her back to the wall, looking out over the countless sleeping faces in the common area. She had been up for a while, which was strange for her, but she simply couldn't lie there anymore. She needed to get up and move. Even before the sun had had risen, Yang had given up on sleeping more and sought out a way to fill the time. Two hours had passed since then, and she had already completed a morning workout, cleaned Ember Celica, watched the sun rise, and done her hair. She now stood back and watched as the rest of her class-to-be slowly roused itself. Ruby had long since gotten up and walked out of the hall, probably to meditate in the garden. Despite being younger than everyone here by two years, Ruby was by far one of the most prepared for what was to come.

For a world renowned combat school, it was disturbingly easy to tell the difference in levels between the students. Some bumbled around, completely oblivious to their surroundings, while looked terrified of what was to come, as if they had never faced a Grimm before. Yang found it hard to believe that this is what passed for good anymore. She and Ruby had been trained by their Uncle Qrow to be aware of any threat and counter it, to be the best huntresses they could be. The training had shown when Ruby had retreated from the confined room. A sleeping student's hand had fallen out of their cot and brushed up against Ruby's leg. He had almost lost that arm, as Ruby had taken out Crescent Rose and started to swing it faster than one could blink. When she realized what had happened, she stopped herself just before removing the poor boy's arm at the elbow, then calmly put Crescent Rose away and walked out. Yang just shook her head and chuckled. Ruby had always been uncomfortable in enclosed spaces, ever since she was a pup. First chance she got when they had arrived at Beacon, Ruby had gone to the garden to unwind from being cooped up in the airship with so many people. Yang, on the other hand, thrived in crowds, couldn't imagine living without them.

Yang continued to watch as more and more students join the world of the living. A few students did managed to impress her. Some of the standouts included two girls and one guy, with each of the three displayed their own obvious strength. The red head clearly knew her body, moving with a perfect balance of finesse and power as she completed a morning workout with a shield and spear. The ginger possessed an unimaginable amount of strength, though to the untrained eye she might look like nothing more than a hyperactive fan girl. What gave her away was the sheer size of her weapon. To the average student, it might just seem like your ordinary collapsed weapon, but when she had set it on the table, the table had begun to bow downward, as if multiple people stood on top of it. The one that impressed Yang the most was the guy in green. It was clear that he had trained very hard for this day. His aura was brimming with confidence, and as he walked, he seemed to glide smoothly from place to place, wasting no energy, as if he were a leaf in a stream. He was clearly an expert of his own body and likely knew quite a few martial arts.

While these three were impressive, they would need to prove themselves on the battlefield before Yang would consider them true warriors. It was clear in the way that they walked that they hadn't seen real battle. Sure, they had sparred, and probably participated in a few tournaments, maybe even killed some Grimm. But tell by the way their eyes shone, the way that they smiled, that they had yet to see the true chaos of the battle field. They had not truly danced with death.

In fact, in this room, there were only a few people that had that look in their eyes. Yang had seen unspeakable horrors in the search for her mother, and Ruby had had that look in her eyes for quite some time, but what had these others seen? The prissy girl in white, who Yang could only guess was Weiss, also carried that darkness. As to where she had gotten it from, Yang couldn't imagine. When would someone as privileged as her have faced death? When would she have needed to find that inner strength, that inner madness, and use it to claw her way back from the brink? Perhaps it had something to do with the scar that ran over her left eye. Nothing was impossible.

That thought brought Yang to her final subject of interest. The lone girl in black, with the bow on her head, faced the monitor playing some news story about the Reaper. This must be Blake, the girl that had come to Ruby's rescue the other day. But that wasn't what intrigued Yang. It had only been for a second, but when the girl had first awoken, something in the air changed. It was as if the horrors that girl had seen emanated from her, polluting the air itself. But as quickly as it had come, it disappeared, easily replaced with a calm, cool peace.

Yang stared at this girl now, trying to understand what she had felt earlier. If one wasn't careful, the darkness they had seen would pollute their souls, eventually hurting the people around them. Keeping the darkness suppressed was no small task. But this girl… Yang had never before felt such pain, such sorrow, even if it had been for a split second. As the subject of her thoughts turned, Yang noticed the small smile that this strange girl now wore. How could this girl have seen the horrors that Yang was sure she had, yet still smile so honestly. Such a smile had long since been lost to Yang, along with her trust of others. How could these people smile, after seeing what they had? Yang still had nightmares about some of those atrocities, yet Ruby, and now these two others, still found reasons to smile. How could they trust anyone, when Yang had lost such talents years ago? Friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, teachers, partners, all of them would eventually leave you. In 20 years, the only exceptions that Yang had ever found to this rule were Ruby and her Uncle Qrow. Of course, only Ruby was here with her now. Qrow had given her the gifts and talents she needed to thrive at this school, yet his physical absence still stung her.

After a minute of standing, Yang realized that she had been staring. She just shook her head and begin towards the door. Just what was wrong with her? She had allowed just that girl's smile to captivate her for far too long. Yang refused to get attached again. She didn't even know this girl, so why was she so focused on her? Soon enough, she would pass by like everyone else in her life. Yang shook her head once again, trying to dislodge the negative thoughts. She couldn't let Ruby see her like this. Despite not living in the same home, despite not having the same mother, they were still sisters, and to Yang, Ruby was all that was left in the world. If she were to lose her now, no one could clean up the mess that would be left behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Ruby<strong>

Ruby took a deep breath as she sat in the center of the clearing, Crescent Rose laid across her lap. Woods surrounded her on all sides as she closed her eyes and reached out with her other senses. It was still early in the morning, the sun had yet to rise, but the activity of small rodents and birds could be easily distinguished by the well trained ear. It was these sounds Ruby focused on, making sure to keep the inner wolf under control. It would have been easier to simply cage the beast within her, locking that part away to never bother her again. But that would waste so much potential. Even among Faunus, her hearing and scent were exceptional, and it was all thanks to these meditations. They brought her closer to her inner wolf and the inner wolf closer to her human self. One day, harmony would be achieved. Her beast would no longer be at war with her person, perfectly balancing instincts with rational thought. When she finally achieved that, these meditations would no longer be necessary. But until that day, she needed to make sure her wolf didn't run wild.

Her mediations were an ancient art, one that she had taught herself through diligent reading. The practice wasn't common among the Faunus anymore, it wasn't even well known. As far as Ruby knew, she was currently its only practitioner. Most Faunus believed that by becoming closer with your inner beast, you start to lose touch with your human self, becoming nothing more than another animal. If that were to happen, humans would never accept the Faunus as regular citizens. On the other side, many believed that the inner beast was what made the Faunus strong, and chose to slowly let the beast take over. The White Fang was known for this, allowing their instincts to do the work instead of their minds. They listened to the blood as it roared through their veins, drowning out the words before they reached their ears. Of course, these instincts were what kept many of these beasts alive, moving with expert precision that could be near impossible for humans, knowing exactly when to fight, and when to flee.

It was because of these monsters that Faunus hunting parties had been formed. Despite the laws protecting them, particularly hateful people attacked the Faunus for sport, or so they called it. But it was nothing more than a blood bath. Most times they targeted the innocent, defenseless Faunus on the street, completely overlooking the true beasts that lurked in the shadows.

More than once, Ruby had been the target of these hunters. More than once, she had found herself dashing down side-streets and alleyways with these horrid people hot on her heels. The only reason that Ruby was still among the living was these meditations. If Ruby hadn't tapped into her wold, she wouldn't have been able to run long enough to tire her pursuers. Of course, the hunters were lucky to say the same. Ruby had known well enough that if she had turned and fought, she would have won, but Faunus everywhere would be blamed for whatever injuries these fiends incurred. Sure, she could have used her semblance and raced off, quickly vanishing from sight, but that would've defeated the purpose of being chased. Ruby's repeated run-ins with the hunters was by her own design. Whenever she knew a hunting party was in the area, she immediately got their attention. She would lead these monsters on a wild goose chase, zigging and zagging across town, making sure to avoid the areas where homeless Faunus huddled. While it wasn't much, but it was all she could do. Especially considering how little the local police cared. Multiple times, she deliberately ran in front of officers, yet not once had they attempted to stop what was happening. Ruby didn't know if they had been bribed or they just didn't care, but it didn't matter. Ruby knew it was wrong, and she wouldn't forget any time soon.

Despite how awful had been at the time, Ruby could now look back on it and smile. If it wasn't for those horrid humans, she might not have made as much progress as she had with her inner wolf. What had taken past Faunus centuries, lifetimes even, to achieve, Ruby had done in 8 short years. She was so close to harmony, she literally felt her two beings inside her start to merge. When she finally succeeded, she could become the bridge between her two worlds. The beautiful yet wild world of the Faunus would truly meet the calm yet dark world of the humans. Perhaps Ruby could create a place where the best of both worlds could coincide, leaving behind the darkness and death. But whether or not she achieved this balance wouldn't matter if she couldn't become a huntress. She needed the authority for people to listen, the authority only held by huntsmen and the political elite. So before anything else, she had to prepare for today. Today would be the first step of ultimately achieving her goal.

The sound of familiar footsteps dragged her out of her trance. Slowly she stood and sheathed Crescent Rose, looking up at the sky. The sun appeared to have long since risen. 'Soon,' she thought, 'soon I will achieve my goal.' With that thought, she stepped out from the trees onto the footpath. To Yang, it may have seemed like her sister had just stepped out of nowhere, but she showed no signs of surprise. A smile still graced Ruby's lips, until she saw that Yang was once again wearing her pseudo smile. 'Why must she do that to herself, Yang? Burying all those negative thoughts won't make you or me any happier.' But Ruby didn't say anything, knowing full well that Yang would deny everything, as she always did.

"Hey sis, ready to go?" Yang asked as if she hadn't a care in the world.

"You know it," Ruby answered truthfully. In all her life, she had never felt more prepared for what was to come. Without saying another word, the sisters walked, side by side, out of the garden and toward the cliffs, where their lives as huntresses would final begin.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there it is. We're about to actually get to the action. Planned on touching it here, but Blake took way more time than I thought she would. Not that I care, Blake's amazing. Feel free to comment or leave reviews. Doing this to grow as a writer, so let me know what you think. Now, I'm gonna cry over thermo. Peace out.<strong>


	3. Flight and Fight

**Thanks for all the continued support guys. 63 of you are my favorite people on FanFiction right now! Also, shout-out to Ann E. Casap for picking up on my bad chemistry joke last time. I would do more, but all the good ones argon (OK I'll stop that now). Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Ruby<strong>

Wind battered Ruby's face as she tumbled through the sky, her hair whipping in every direction. She could have started her landing strategy long ago, but why would she want to do that? If she started firing Crescent Rose to slow down, all she would smell would be used dust cartridges, not the medley of scents that came with the wind. Ruby closed her eyes and let the aromas of the forest wash over her. If she had kept her eyes open, however, she would have noticed the small black dot that had flown in her path.

It was over in a puff of feathers. Ruby cried in dismay as she watched the now lifeless bird tumble to the ground. 'God I hope that was a Grimm bird.' Ruby hated taking life if it wasn't necessary, otherwise she wasn't any different than the Grimm. She knew well enough that if the Grimm had a chance, they wouldn't hesitate to tear someone to shreds. Hell, she had seen it happen more times then she would have liked, always a split second too slow in stopping the beast. But that would all change soon. Soon she would be a huntress. Soon, she would be that split second faster.

Ruby rolled over and began to fire Crescent Rose into the woods below, each shot slowing her dramatically. Quickly glancing over the area, she analyzed her situation. Where could she land without causing too much damage to herself or the trees? Spotting a sturdy looking branch, Ruby fired Crescent Rose one final time, lining herself up before fully deploying her scythe. With acrobatic precision, she hooked her scythe around the branch, swung around it once, and disengaged. Landing with an easy tuck and roll, Ruby turned to survey the damage she caused. Seeing that that branch would live with just a bit of scarring, she smiled, turned, and walked deeper into the forest.

After she had walked a distance, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The scents of the forest rushed at her, bringing with them the peace that Ruby only felt in wooded areas. Yet it wasn't quite the same. Used dust powder still clung to her cloak and overwhelmed the more subtle scents of the woods. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that now the burnt dust also overwhelmed the gentler scents of the other student. Ozpin had told all the students before launching them into the air that they would be paired up with the first person that they made eye contact with. Just how was that a reliable system for finding a partner that you would be working with for the next 4 years and possibly beyond? Ruby wanted to leave nothing up to chance, and there were very few people she wanted to be paired with.

Yang was an easy choice. They were sisters after all, and they had both been trained by their Uncle Qrow. If they couldn't work together, there was no hope for them. Next was Blake. Ruby could easily tell that she would be a reliable teammate, they were both Faunus, and Ruby had a feeling that Blake would be easy to work with. The only problem with her was that she seemed a bit reserved, and getting her to open up off the battlefield could prove to be a challenge. The last spot on the list surprised even Ruby. Weiss, the spoiled rich girl, who had caused her to explode in front of the school, had earned a spot on Ruby's list. Despite their rough start, Weiss had quickly made up lost ground last night when they had talked far later than either of them had intended. And then there were those eyes. Underneath their blue surface, a fire burned, one that wanted not only to survive, but to thrive. It was those eyes that Ruby pictured now, wondering just how someone so privileged had kindled such a determined flame.

Absorbed on her thoughts, Ruby almost didn't notice the low growl that emanated from the nearby bushes. A lone Beowolf stepped into the clearing, eyeing Ruby hungrily. Ruby couldn't help but chuckle at the lonely beast, shaking her head.

"Just what do you think that you are gonna do by yourself?" Ruby taunted the Beowolf. The Grimm stopped growling, lifted its head to the sky, and let loose a long howl. Almost instantly, Ruby heard the response, and watched as about two dozen more growling Beowolves flooded into the clearing. "Now that's more like it," Ruby growled right back. None of them appeared to be an alpha, and it showed in their hesitation to attack. Unfortunately for them, Ruby was her own alpha, disappearing from sight in a flurry of rose petals.

When she reappeared, Crescent Rose was drawn, and the two Beowolves before her collapsed to the ground, suddenly relieved of their heads. A smile began to grow on her face as she put her hood up.

"This is going to be too easy." Ruby chuckled. And with that, she went to work.

Ruby dashed all around, using her semblance intermittently. Crescent Rose sang as it tore through the air, relieving Beowolves of their limbs, heads, and torsos, sometimes all three in one swipe. But no matter how many she took down, two more seemed to take its place. See saw more and more Grimm flowing into the clearing, all coming from the same direction.

'Just what is going on? Why are there so many Grimm attacking from that direction? It's not like I am displaying any negative emotions.' And she wasn't. In fact, she was having fun. Nothing got her going quite like combat in the morning.

As much as she wanted to know why more Grimm kept joining the melee, Ruby knew that pondering such questions would take up too much time, and it would just be faster to kill the Grimm. So once again she set onto her work, using her semblance to dash through the ranks of Beowolves and Ursa that had joined the fight. Few were able to even see her attack, let alone try to dodge. She stopped behind their ranks, standing confidently as, one by one, beasts toppled behind her. A sigh escaped Ruby's lips. 'Guess this is the best they got. Let's just make the most of it.'

Ruby spun Crescent Rose over her head, decapitating the Beowolf behind her, before bringing it down on a charging Ursa, cleaving it clean in two. Ruby sniffed the air as purification set in on the two. A faint smell of wood smoke smell wafted skyward, finally overpowering the burnt dust stink. 'Ash to ashes, dust to dust. Let nature return in force once more,' Ruby cited in her head. She couldn't count how many times her Uncle had said that after finishing off Grimm. 'Guess he taught me more than just his scythe techniques.' One more scent touched the air, and it brought a smile to Ruby's face. 'This should be interesting.'

Ruby turned to face the remaining Grimm, finding that less than half their numbers remained standing. These last survivors, however, scattered as a massive howl filled the air. Lumbering out of the woods came an Alpha Beowolf. While it was small among alphas, it still dwarfed the other Beowolves in size. Standing at well over twice the high of the others, and its head completely covered in bone armor, this beast would have caused most to turn and flee on sight. Most.

"Finally, I might get to see a challenge," Ruby smirked as she stood facing the beast, and sheathed Crescent Rose. If she was going to do this, she was at least going to make it at least a little fair for the beast. A low growl began to resonate from her throat as she issued her challenge, from one alpha to another. The beast echoed her rumbling, accepting the contest of strength. Then, with a yowl, it leapt forward, a massive claw swinging at Ruby. But her years of training were nothing but effective, and she slipped under its massive arm. With strength that one would not expect from someone her size, she struck the beast straight in the ribs with a series of quick jabs, causing a number of bones to shatter on impact. With one final swing, she struck the beast in the shoulder, blowing the bone and socket to pieces. The colossal arm immediately fell limp and useless.

The beast roared in pain before swinging its good arm at Ruby. Compared to when she sparred with Yang, the Beofwolf seemed to move in slow motion. This time, when Ruby ducked, she swept the beast's hind legs out from under it, causing it to tumble backward. Before it could even hit the ground, Ruby had turned all the way around, stood up, and brought her leg up over her head. Ruby delivered her axe kick with devastating force to her targets neck, shattering its bone armor and leaving a crater in the ground where the alpha landed. Ruby just shook her head, disappointed in how simple it had been. 'Must have been a new alpha.' Fear filled Ruby's nostrils as the other Beowolves noticed that their leader, their alpha, had been beaten so easily. Yet it didn't seem that they were ready to back down just yet. 'Go ahead,' Ruby thought, 'Rush me, I'm sure that will end well for ya.'

Before any of the beasts made a move, she heard a low growl rumble begin from somewhere behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>Weiss<strong>

"A little bit more warning would have been nice!" Weiss shouted over the wind as she flew through the air. She had no problem with the fact she was flying, or in this case, falling, into Forever Fall. What she was annoyed about was the method for picking their partners. 'If I had known that the first person we make eye contact with out here would be our partner, I would have tried to get to know people better. Now I can only hope that whoever I get isn't unbearable.' She had only been able to meet two people at this school, and so far she hadn't made great first impressions. At least that Ruby girl had been quick to forgive and forget, overlooking her angry outbursts around the exploding incident. They had gotten on well enough last night, so she was definitely a possibility. Then there was that girl with the bow. 'Dust, I hope that I don't find her. I doubt we'll ever be able to get along.' The girl hadn't hesitated to judge her based off what her parents had done, and Weiss doubted that would change anytime soon.

Beyond those two, Weiss had hardly spoken to anyone, and few had impressed her. There was that Pyrrha girl. She was supposedly pretty famous in tournament circles, and did carry herself with confidence, but she seemed the have her eyes set on an awkward blond boy. Weiss wasn't even going to bother with the energetic girl, no matter how strong she was, as she seemed to be attached to that martial arts boy at the hip. All that was left was that large blond girl that had stood with her back to the wall all morning. She seemed to have a fighting spirit, and Weiss could tell that she had been analyzing everyone in the room, probably reaching the same results as Weiss had. 'I guess she wouldn't be too bad as a partner,' Weiss thought absentmindedly as the forest rushed closer and closer, 'She seemed strong, but there was something about her that seemed off. Like she was hiding something.' Not that that mattered now. Now, Weiss had to focus on landing in the forest below without breaking her neck. Weiss started to throw glyphs out in front of her, laced with a bit of Dust to slow her decent. Leaping from one to the next, Weiss brought herself closer and closer to the ground, landing with a quiet grace that would have impressed her tutors.

With her feet now firmly on the ground, Weiss could figure out what to do first. 'I don't see anyone around, and the forest seems pretty quiet. They said the goal was to the north of the cliffs, so if I keep walking the direction they launched us, I should just run into someone on the way there.' Weiss wandered as she thought, not paying attention as to what was around her. A loud crash yanked her out of her thoughts, instantly turning on combat mode. 'Just what the hell was that?! There's no way a student would be stupid enough to crash around like that, right?' Another crash echoed through the woods, followed by another. It took Weiss a moment to realize exactly what was going on, but the burning smell in the air gave it away. 'Someone's fighting Grimm already, and it sounds like they pissed off a lot of them.'

Weiss debated leaving this person to face the Grimm alone, but decided against it. As easy as it would be to just walk to the goal and find her partner there, this would be a good way to meet one. And, by the sounds of it, the Grimm were getting the worst of it. Steeling her will, Weiss started a run through the tree line, towards the sounds of combat. After a few steps though, Weiss froze. What lay before her, was not a battle field, but an encampment. A nest of Grimm. The sounds of battle seemed to continue just beyond the trees, but there were still plenty of Grimm here to deal with. Luckily for Weiss, the seemed rather focused on what was going on in the next clearing. Carefully picking her target, Weiss drew Myrtenaster and lunged at the only Ursa Major that stood among the Grimm. Her rapier easily pierced the beast, directly injecting red dust into the monster before flipping away to prepare for the counter attack. The Ursa instantly burst into flames and began to flail about, blinded by pain, taking out Beowolves and smaller Ursa alike before it finally succumbed to the flames. Its death rampage had lasted thirty seconds at most, but it still had taken out about two-thirds of the Grimm in the clearing, more than Weiss had planned. With well-trained grace and precision, Weiss pressed onward, gliding from beast to beast, killing them with one to two quick blows of her sword. A jab to the eye and through the back of the head, a slash of the throat, a stab into the heart. One after another, the beasts collapsed before Weiss. Almost every blow dealt death, allowing Weiss to flow from one to the next, clearing the remaining Grimm in no time at all.

When she had finished, Weiss turned and looked over the nest. The size of the nest told a story of how many Grimm lived there, but it was nowhere near the number of Grimm she had just killed. 'The person fighting beyond those trees is either unlucky, immensely stupid, or extremely confident in their talents,' Weiss thought in amazement. 'Why else would they be fighting the Grimm so close to such a massive nest?' With her goal completed, Weiss turned toward the sounds of battle still raging beyond the line of trees. It was time to figure out just who it was fighting all these Grimm, and if they were worth the effort she had just gone through. She walked up to the trees and gazed out into the clearing beyond.

Right at that moment, a massive Beowolf crash through the trees on the other side of the clearing. Weiss's heart sank in her chest. Never had she seen a Beowolf like this one, and it sent shivers down its spine. Its size made the other Grimm around it look like children's toys. Its claws looked like daggers sticking out of its front paws, each tooth in its gapping maw an arrowhead. But what scared Weiss wasn't its weapons, nor its size, but rather the look it held in its eyes. They held no mercy, no hesitation. They were the eyes of a relentless killer. Yet standing before it, unflinching, was a lone figure in a red clock, with the hood up and their weapon deployed. The long scythe stood just above its owners head, glaring death back at the Beowolf. Until suddenly, the owner put their weapon away, sheathing it at the base of their back. A low rumble could be hear across the clearing, a growl that Weiss could only guess was coming from the enormous Beowolf.

Suddenly the creature lunged and swung its claws at the figure in red. Weiss feared the worst as Beowolf was suddenly right next to its target, but before Weiss could shout any warning, the figure disappeared, only to appear right beside the beast, striking it in the ribs. The punches didn't seem to have much force behind them, but looks could be deceiving. With each hit, despite the distance between them, Weiss could hear bones break. When the cloaked warrior jumped away, the Beowolf's arm hung limp and pain showed in its eyes. Recklessly, it lunged again, swinging its good arm in a fury. This time Weiss was ready, and watched as the warrior swept the legs out from under the beast. While the Beowolf fell, the figure completed its turn and brought their foot high over their head. 'Flexible,' Weiss thought in amazement. 'I wonder who taught them to do that.' When they brought their boot down, Weiss could feel the earth shake. She watched in wonder as the massive beast lay there, beaten and broken. Such a horrible monster had been brought down without any weapon? Just who was this person? There were only supposed to be students in the forest today, yet what Weiss had just seen wasn't what she had expected from a student. Her thoughts were cut short as she suddenly noticed the Ursa emerge from the bushes behind the cloaked figure. It crept closer and closer, yet the red warrior didn't move, staring out over the remaining Beowolves.

Weiss made a split second decision, rushing forward with Myrtenaster. The beast never saw Weiss coming and wasn't prepared for the blade that severed its spine. Its growl was cut short as it fell to the ground, suddenly lifeless. That was when Weiss heard a familiar giggle.

"Ruby?" Weiss whispered, shocked, as the figure in red turned around for the first time. "Ruby! Just what do you think you're doing?! That Ursa was right behind you and you didn't even react!" Weiss just stood in amazement. How had this girl defeated that Beowolf with her bare hands, yet let an Ursa sneak up on her with such ease?

"Oh, I knew." Ruby calmly replied. "It wasn't exactly quiet. I just knew that you would take care of it."

"How did you even know that I was there? I hadn't said a word!" Weiss pressed on, not still not believing that Ruby had been aware of the encroaching danger.

"I'm just that good," Ruby said with a wolfish grin. "Now if you excuse me, I need to finish these other Grimm off." And with that, she disappeared in a flash of rose petals. Weiss just stood in wonder as the Grimm that remained standing suddenly stopped moving, and began to fall apart. Literally. Most had been cut in half at the torso, a few decapitated, and one had been sliced straight down the middle. As the Grimm toppled, Ruby suddenly reappeared in front of Weiss, with a smile on her face and a scythe in her hand. "So I guess this makes us partners now huh?"

"Yeah, I guess it does," Weiss replied absentmindedly. Just what was going on? Sure, she had thought the girl in front of her would be capable, but nothing could have prepared her for what she had just seen. This girl is a one woman army. Weiss had been worried about her partner holding her back. Now, there was a chance that she might be the one holding the other back.

"So what's that you got there? It looks like a Multi Action Dust Rapier." Ruby changed the subject excitedly.

"Huh? Oh yeah. This is Myrtenaster. I'm surprised that you were able to tell it was a MADR just by looking though."

"I'm a little bit of a weapons enthusiast," Ruby said shyly. "I've never been very good with dust though. You know, explosions and all that."

Weiss found herself smiling at that. "Oh yeah, I know." And then she was laughing. A building laugh that slowly ran out of control. She was laughing harder than she had in a very long time. Just what was it about this girl that made her feel so at ease? Even if Weiss never found out, she was okay with that. All she knew was that her partner was the only one so far at this school that had given her a clean slate. And it felt _good._

Ruby laughed along with Weiss, enjoying the moment. Of all the people that Ruby had met on campus, she was glad that Weiss had become her partner.

The moment was suddenly shattered as a talon appeared out of nowhere and swept Ruby off the ground. Weiss watched in horror as a Nevermore carried her partner off to Dust knows where. "RUBY!" Weiss shouted, already launching herself in the air with a glyph. There was no way that she was going to lose her partner the same day that she found her. Weiss landed squarely on the birds back, and grabbed on to the feathers for dear life as winds threatened to throw her back off.

When Weiss finally looked around her, she saw Ruby hanging on right next to her. But that couldn't be. Ruby should be firmly in the talons of this bird, not hanging off its back.

"SO, YOU COME HERE OFTEN?!" Ruby shouted over the wind.

Weiss just stared in amazement. How had this girl gotten from the talons to the back, and still feel good enough about the situation to make a joke? "I THOUGHT THIS BIRD HAD JUST CARRIED YOU OFF!" Weiss shouted back.

"AWW, YOU DO CARE!"

"RUBY, NOW IS NOT THE TIME! HOW DID YOU END UP ON THE BACK OF THIS THING?"

"I CLIMBED UP!"

Weiss instantly gave up on ever understanding this girl. When plucked off the ground by a massive Nevermore, her first thought wasn't to hang on for dear life, but to climb up on the back of the beast that carried her and started making jokes with her partner. This was going to take some getting used to.

Before Weiss could say anything else, Ruby suddenly shouted "OH LOOK, ITS OUR STOP!" And tackled Weiss off the bird.

"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Weiss shouted, hanging on to her partner for dear life.

"I'm right here Princess, you don't need to shout like that," Ruby said with a grin. She looked down at the girl in her arms. "Our goal is right below us, so I figured that is was the most direct route. Now do me a favor, and throw down some glyphs so we don't die on impact."

"How did you even know I could make glyphs?" Weiss uttered in amazement. "I haven't said a word about it."

"Myrtenaster gives it away to those who know weapons, but I also saw you make a glyph to catch up to the Nevermore. Thanks by the way, for coming to save me." Ruby told her. Weiss could have sworn that Ruby's cheeks had turned a light red, but that must have been from the wind whipping around them.

Without saying another word, Weiss threw down a series of glyphs before Ruby, who expertly hopped from one to the next, before lightly landing on the ground in front of an ancient ruin.

"Looks like we're not the first one here after all," Ruby said mildly disappointed as she set Weiss down.

Weiss looked up to see what her partner meant, and was surprised at what she saw. The blond girl that Weiss had seen observing the students earlier stood at the entrance to the temple with a smile on her lips.

"Oh good, she's actually smiling this time," Weiss heard Ruby mumble. Whoever this girl was, Ruby seemed to know her. Might as well make the effort to get to know her too. But before Weiss could say anything, see noticed a second figure step out of the shadows behind the blond. She had a smirk on her face, and a bow on her head.

'Oh boy,' Weiss thought. 'It's going to be a long day.' And trudged behind Ruby up the steps of the ruined temple.

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><p><strong>OK, this one was fun for me to write. Hope you enjoyed it. I'll see you all next time. Peace out.<strong>


	4. Blondie and the Beast

**I still can't believe this. Just over a week in, this story already has 91 followers. That's just unreal to me. It means a lot to me that you enjoy this story, because I have a lot of fun writing it. Thank you to everyone here, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

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><p><strong>Yang<strong>

"YA-HOOOOOO!" Yang cried as she flew through the air. 'This is the life! The wind rushing in my face and whipping my hair back. It's just like when I ride Bumblebee! Its no wonder Ruby loves riding with the mask up on her helmet. The wind whipping in my face, the freedom! It's like livin' a dream!' Of course, dream or no, she wasn't riding Bumblebee. No, she was flying through the air over Forever Fall.

Every once in a while, a shot echoed out as Yang fired Ember Celica behind her. The goal was simply to make it to the temple and meet their new partners. No one ever said that you had to walk the whole way there. So Yang made sure to stay airborne as long as possible, flying further and further away from the cliffs. 'Those suckers are going to be fighting Grimm for ages, giving me plenty of time to trim my potential partner list.'

While the others had made it apparent that they didn't care for the partner system, Yang saw it as an advantage. This way, she could observe the other students and figure out if they were worth a damn. Not that many of them were. Her list was already depressingly short, consisting of a few standouts.

Yang had always believed the value of a person could be determined by the strength of their eyes. As such, few managed to hold her unrelenting gaze, and let alone impress her. But there were always exceptions. Ruby, of course, easily surpassed Yang's expectations. Ever since the incident where they lost her mom, Summer, Ruby had steeled herself to the world that had killed her. Few people ever got to see beyond the surface of those silver eyes, Yang being one of the select few. That didn't change the fact that, last night, Yang had seen a twinkle in those eyes she had been missing for quite some time. It brought a smile to Yang's face knowing that someone else had made her sister happy, even if it was that prissy little rich girl.

Speaking of which, where had that girl gone too? It came as a surprise, but she had passed the Yang's test this morning. But Yang hadn't seen her since. 'Just how can I figure out if she is worth a damn if I can't even find her?' Yang scolded herself. She generally kept better track of people, but his one had slipped away. Not that that Blake girl was any better. Once she had stepped out of the common hall, she had vanished. Not into the crowd, not into the shadows, she literally just dissolved. Yang wasn't sure what to think of that one. 'If I can find her again, I need to find out what she did there. That's a neat trick that could have helped me out of quite a few jams. And Dust, breakups would have been so much easier.'

By now, Yang had flown over a large portion of forest, and if she didn't land soon, she might over shoot her goal entirely. 'Well, let's get started then,' Yang thought as she kicked off a tree. She did this twice more to slow down, and landed with a smooth tuck and roll. "Nailed it!" Yang shouted in triumph. A growl in response was not what she expected.

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><p><strong>Blake<strong>

'Well, at least this is going to be simple,' Blake thought as the forest rushed at her. 'Land and find someone to be a partner. What can go wrong?'

Just before Blake hit the ground, she threw a shadow of herself out before her and kicked off it, slowing herself dramatically, as well as adding a flip to her landing. 'Hey, the teachers said that they would be monitoring us, might as well show off a little.' Now was Blake's chance to make an impression, and she wasn't going to slip up now. Too much was on the line.

Taking a deep breath, she analyzed the scents that swirled around her. She was downwind from everyone it seemed, and could guess just about where everyone was. But the question was, which way to go?

'That wolf pup, Ruby, isn't far away, maybe I should go with her?' Blake pondered as she stood in the clearing. 'Better not, Schnee is between me and her. Wouldn't want another confrontation. Well, Schnee wouldn't want another one.' Quite honestly, Blake wouldn't mind watching the rich girl squirm again. She was well aware that Weiss wasn't the one responsible for the misfortunes befalling the Faunus, but she definitely hadn't done anything to change it. Hell, Blake doubted that this girl was even fully aware of the suffering her people had faced at the Schnee family's hands.

But now wasn't the time to worry about that. Now was the time to find a partner and reach their goal. With Ruby and Schnee off the table, all that was left was that large blond girl. Blake had seen her watching the hall this morning, analyzing everything that she saw. Something about her had caught Blake's attention, but what. Checking the air one last time, Blake set in search of the blond.

Fortunately, it didn't take long. The overpowering smell of conditioner and burnt dust made her easy enough to find. Not that it was necessary. Apparently, the girl had wandered into the center of a Grimm nest. A small one, to be sure, but still a nest none the less. All around Blake, there were the dissolving bodies of Grimm, big and small. The musky smell of smoke filled her nostrils, yet she could still pick out the scent of the girls hair. 'I'm gonna have to talk to her about that,' Blake thought as she trudged onward. 'I don't care how good she is, if she suffocates me with that conditioner, she's going to regret it.'

A roar came from the clearing ahead of her, and Blake ran to the tree line. There, standing in a fighting stance, stood the blond, facing down two Ursa Major. 'Just what is she thinking? Those things have been known to blow through aura shields even when the hunter knew that the hit was coming!' Yet, there she stood, looking at the beasts as one would an annoying sibling.

"Is that all you've got?! Come at me!" the blond shouted, egging the Ursa on.

'I think that I made a horrible mistake,' was all Blake could think. This girl was either stupid or crazy, but either way, now Blake would have to save her. But before Blake made a move, the one of the Ursa swiped at the girl, who nimbly jumped away, far quicker than Blake had expected for someone her size.

"HA! You couldn't hit the broad side of a ba…" the blond suddenly stopped. Blake couldn't tell, but it looked like she was staring at something that was falling in front of her. Was that a hair?

What followed was not quite what Blake had expected. She thought that Hell itself had broken loose and started to scorch the landscape. Heat battered her face and she felt the air shudder around her. But when she finally collected herself, she saw that the forest wasn't on fire. Rather, the blond was. Flames and embers jumped from her hair as she walked up to the offending Ursa, her violet eyes suddenly blood red. It was over in a flash. Blake counted 10 punches, not that it mattered. The Ursa was dead after the first blow. As a fiery explosion blew the beast away, a smile slowly grew on Blake. Maybe this wasn't a mistake after all. With a quick flick of her Gambol Shroud, sent her blade spinning into the spine of the second Ursa, which the blond was currently shouting at. As the beast collapsed at her feet, the blond looked up in surprise.

"I could have taken him," the blond comment with a light smile. Blake cracked one of her own, knowing full well that she could have. "So where have you been hiding? I've been looking for you since this morning."

"You were looking for me?" Blake was actually shocked. She hadn't thought that anyone was paying attention to her, yet here this girl was, claiming to have lost track of her.

"Yeah, that dissolving act you pulled earlier through me for quite a loop. Not gonna lie, wish I had a skill like that."

"Sorry, force of habit," and it was. Blake had always been weary of being followed, it was just part of her old life. It had just become natural to leave behind a shadow whenever she left a room to throw off pursuers. That was going to be a hard on habit to break. "I'm Blake, by the way."

"Yang. I know a bit about you, you ran into my sister, Ruby," Yang replied casually. "Welp, that relic isn't going to claim itself, shall we be off kitten?"

In an instant, Blake had Gambol Shroud at Yang's throat. "Who told you?" Blake asked, her voice laced with venom.

"Well, you did, just now. Before that, just a guess." Yang replied casually, as if nothing was wrong. "I do have a sister that's a Faunus, and you start to pick up on things. That and your bow twitched when I spoke. That's cleaver by the way, Ruby just keeps her ears pinned down in public."

Reluctantly, Blake removed the blade from Yang's throat. "Fine. I guess you would have found out sooner or later, being my partner and all. I just didn't expect it right away. Please tell no one. I'm just not comfortable shouting it out to the world."

"My lips are sealed. And don't worry, if anyone says anything bad about you or the Faunus, I'll take care of it."

This was not what Blake was prepared for. She had just met this girl, and yet here she was, promising to protect Blake's honor? She felt her cheeks start to burn at the thought of it. Just what was going on here?

"Well, it like you said, that relic isn't going to collect itself," Blake said coolly as she turned around, hoping the blond didn't see her blush.

Unfortunately for Blake, not much got by Yang, that blush included. She chuckled under her breath and set off after her new partner.

* * *

><p>"Wow, this was easier to find than I thought it would be," Yang commented as they walked up the temple steps. "I figured that initiation would be, I don't know, more dangerous."<p>

"Well, this forest does have a ridiculous amount of Grimm in it. Maybe we just got lucky. Then again, we did just kill about 20 Grimm, 2 of them being Ursa Major."

"I'm sorry, we?" Yang laughed. "If I remember right, I killed about 20 Grimm, and you killed one Ursa Major."

"It was a team effort. Do you know how hard it was to catch up to you? I still don't see how you got so far ahead, you're not that fast."

"Harsh. I guess you're right though. Maybe one day I'll tell you my little secret."

"You used your gauntlets to fly farther, didn't you?"

"Eeeep!"

"Did you just eeeep?" Blake shot a questioning look at Yang.

Yang didn't say anything in response. Instead, she scratched Blake right behind her ears. A purr escaped from Blake before she could stop it. She leapt away, but the damage was already done.

"Oh, I'm going to have fun with that," Yang said with a smirk.

"I already regret my decision to follow you in the woods," Blake said as she turned her back to Yang.

"Oh well, let's just get this relic and head back to the cliffs."

They walked into the shadows of the temple, and finally set their eyes on the relics for the first time.

"Chest pieces? Really?" Blake just shook her head. "Seems a little cliché, but alright."

They both walked along the walls of the temple, looking at the chest pieces set out on the pedestals. Blake was considering grabbing the black rook when Yang suddenly shouted out "How about a cute little pony?!"

Blake rolled her eyes at the excitement in her partner's voice. "Sure," unable to match her partners enthusiasm. This wasn't quite how she thought her initiation would go, but then again, it could go a lot worse.

"Well, look who finally showed up," Blake heard Yang mutter behind her. "And it looks like she found her partner. Good for her."

Blake turned to see what Yang was talking about. As she stepped out of the shadows, she finally saw what Yang was staring at. To her surprise, she saw Weiss Schnee, standing next to the young wolf Faunus.

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><p><strong>Ruby<strong>

"Yang!" Ruby shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Ruby!" Yang called right back.

Suddenly, an energetic ginger popped up between them. "Nora!"

"Whaa…"Ruby was at a loss. She looked behind the girl, only to see a dead Uras and an exhausted man with jet black hair and a pink stripe down its side.

But the excitement didn't end there. Flying out of nowhere, a blond boy crashed into the wall of the temple, falling to the ground in a jumbled heap.

"Jaune!" came yet another voice. This one was from a young redheaded girl who tumbled out of the forest.

"Just what is going on?" Yang uttered with disbelief. "Who are these people?"

Before Yang got her answer, a crash echoed from the forest. Shortly after the redhead cleared the tree line, a massive Death Stalker crashed out of the forest.

"We'll find out later. Right now she needs help," Ruby said before disappearing a flurry of petals.

"Sonofabitch RUBY!" Yang called after her sister, but it was already too late. Ruby was already at the monsters side, swinging her massive scythe. Despite all her strength, her blade simply bounced off the Death Stalker's armor. All Ruby had done was turn the monster's attention towards her. While she had bought time the redhead to get away, Ruby suddenly found herself in the same predicament.

"Ummmm… I should go," Ruby mumbled to no one in particular and started running. But before she could activate her semblance again, a screech resonated from overhead. Without turning around, Ruby knew what the Nevermore had come back for her. A brief whistle filled the air, and suddenly Ruby's cloak yanked back against her. 'Shit, shit, shit!' was all that was running through her head. She turned to see a single feather piercing her cloak, pinning her to the spot.

"RUBY!" Yang yelled as she ran towards her trapped sister. But she wasn't going to make it. Yang was nowhere near fast enough, and there was still the rain of feathers from the Nevermore. Ruby closed her eyes and accepted what was coming. The Death Stalker was right behind her, and it was about to live up to its name. There was nothing she could do but wait for it to be over.

But the end never came. When Ruby reopened her eyes, standing between her and a strange wall of ice was a figure dressed in all white.

"Just what were you thinking?! Do you have any idea how thick a Death Stalker's armor plating is?" Weiss scolded Ruby. "Way too thick for you to cut through in one try, I don't care how strong you are! So how about this. You don't get yourself killed today, and we get as far away from this thing as possible. Sound like a plan?"

Ruby couldn't find the right words to say. Here was this girl that had just save her life, standing before her like a majestic guardian angel, white hair flowing in the breeze. The view was stunning, and Ruby had to catch herself before her jaw dropped. So rather than saying anything, Ruby just smiled and nodded. In unison, they turned and dashed out of the field of feathers. Between Weiss's glyphs and Ruby's semblance, they both returned to the other students' sides in the blink of an eye.

"Ruby, don't… do that again," Yang panted as she returned to the group.

"Sorry Yang," Ruby replied sheepishly. She didn't like to worry her sister, yet there she was, nearly getting killed by a Death Stalker and chased by a Nevermore. She saw that everyone had gathered around, including the red head, who nodded once at Ruby in appreciation. "So, who wants to get these relics and get the Dust out of here?" As expected, no one argued.

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><p><strong>Weiss<strong>

"Now how the Hell did we get in this situation?!" Weiss shouted at Ruby, who simply shrugged and continued to fire Crescent Rose at the Nevermore. They were now trapped on top of another set of ruins, with the bridge back to solid ground at the bottom of the canyon. What had happened to getting the Dust out of here? Now, they stood against an angry Nevermore with Ruby's sister and her partner, while the other students faced off with the Death Stalker that had followed them.

"We're here now, so let's just figure it out!" Ruby shouted back. Just what was there to figure out? They were fighting a Nevermore! It was already gigantic, had powerful bone armor on all its vital spots, and it FLEW! Last Weiss checked, none of them flew, or had powerful enough ranged attacks to down this beast. Even Ruby's sniper rifle bounced off its armor. Ruby shouting drug Weiss out of her thoughts and back to the fight at hand. "I have an idea, hold it back!" was all Ruby shouted before dashing off.

'Wanna tell me what it is first?!' Weiss wanted to shout, but instead went to work holding the flying beast's attention. Even if Weiss didn't know what the plan was, it started now. 'Whatever she has, I hope it works.'

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><p>"Of course you would come up with this idea," Weiss commented as she lined up her shot. Ruby now sat in the center of a massive slingshot, held between two pillars and made of that Blake girl's weapon ribbon. Yet despite how crazy this idea seemed, here Weiss was, playing along and preparing to fire her partner at the trapped Nevermore. 'Dust I hope that ice holds. If not, this is already over.'<p>

"You think you can make the shot?" Ruby asked her partner as she braced for what was to come.

"Hmph, can I?" Weiss replied with an air of confidence.

Ruby, however, didn't pick up on said air. "Can you?" she asked in all seriousness.

"Of course I can!" Weiss proclaimed. She actually felt a little hurt the Ruby had doubted her.

Ruby didn't say anything else. Instead, she simply loaded a new round into her sniper chamber, and gave Weiss a small grin. "Let's do this princess," was all Ruby said as roses began to flow from her clock. Now, it was Weiss's turn to show this girl what she could do. With a wave of her blade, Weiss launched Ruby through the air. Shots echoed through the canyon as Ruby fired Crescent Rose behind her to increase her speed, rose petals trailing behind her. With a crash, Ruby caught the beast by the throat with her scythe and pinned it against the wall. Now for the hard part. Using the last of her aura, Weiss placed a trail of glyphs before Ruby, anchoring her to the cliff face.

After tossing out so many glyphs at once, Weiss almost blacked out. Her aura was going to feel that one later. When she finally could see straight again, she looked up to see her partner use her semblance to reach the top of the cliff, still dragging the Nevermore behind her, and decapitate the beast. 'Her crazy ass plan worked. I can't believe it.' Weiss watched as Ruby stepped back out to the cliff ledge, semblance still blazing. Or would it be better to say it was pedaling? Weiss wasn't sure, but she knew one thing. Her partner was not to be trifled with.

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><p>"Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces," the headmaster announced during the induction ceremony. "From this day forward, you will work together as, Team RWBY. Led by, Ruby Rose."<p>

'Wait, Ruby?' Weiss was shocked. 'I know she came up with the plan that took down the Nevermore, but she's still the youngest one here. Shouldn't the most experienced one be the leader?' Yet as Weiss thought this, she knew that Ozpin had made the right decision. She didn't know why, but it just seemed right that Ruby would lead the team. And it made Weiss feel, what was it, proud? Was she proud that her partner was the team leader?

Curiosity got the better of her, and after the ceremony, Weiss set out to catch up to the headmaster. It didn't take long to find him, as he was standing outside the doors, observing the students as they left. "Professor Ozpin!" Weiss called out, "I have a question for you."

"Yes Ms. Schnee? What can I do for you?" Ozpin responded casually.

"I was curious as to why you chose Ruby to be out team leader. Not that I disagree with your decision. In fact, I agree completely, but I can figure out why myself. I know she came up with the plan to take down the Nevermore, but she's still the youngest and probably the least experienced out of all of us."

"Ms. Schnee, I will disagree with you on that last point. Why this is, is not my place to tell, but I will tell you why I made her the team leader. Do you understand the dynamic of a wolf pack?"

Weiss was caught off guard by this. "Yes, but what does that have anything to do with this?"

"Then you know that that wolves are led by an alpha, is that correct?"

"Yes, but I still don't…"

"Consider Ms. Rose an alpha. Even if I didn't give her the power, she would still find a way to have it. Her natural inclination is to lead, and lead she shall. Until another alpha shows themselves to be stronger than her and more fit to lead, she will fight for and hold her position of power. As to why you believe her to be best suited for the position, even without knowing why, I believe that you have seen this alpha part of Ruby. Does this answer your question Ms. Schnee?" Ozpin concluded.

Weiss was stunned. "Yes, I think it does. Thank you professor." After dipping her head with respect, she turned and walked towards the dorms, pondering what Ozpin had said. Just what had she seen in Ruby that make her feel so comfortable with the thought of the younger girl leading the team into battle? Maybe Ozpin was right, maybe Ruby just was a natural leader. Not that it mattered now. Ruby would prove herself in time, or she wouldn't. All Weiss could do now as be her partner and see what happened.

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><p><strong>Okay, I know that it got a bit jumpy there at the end. But hey, now we're going to move past the (mostly) canon story arc. I will probably still have canon things in the future, but now I'm going to start moving things in my direction. Hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, I'll see ya all next time. Peace out!<strong>

**And remember, don't trust atoms, they make up everything.**


	5. Blowing Off Steam

**You guys surprise me with every passing day. 109 of you have followed this story, and I can't tell you how grateful I am for that. The fact that you enjoy these enough to keep reading them means a lot to me, so, your all awesome. Anyways, on with the story!**

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><p>Ruby was bouncing with excitement. All week long, she had been waiting for this moment. She had sat through boring lectures, pointless stories, and unbearable busy work. But she had finally made it. Finally, she would be able to do what she did best. Fight.<p>

Ruby had been looking forward to sparring class all week. Her meditations had been going well, but alone, they could only do so much. She needed to let the beast inside out a little bit, before it got restless. But her patience was finally going to pay off. All the first year teams had gathered in the sparring gymnasium, awaiting Professor Goodwitch. Some groups matched Ruby's excitement, nudging each other and bouncing on the ball of their feet, while others looked sick to their stomach. Jaune, the leader of Team JNPR, had that look on his face, but at least he was making an effort to not let it show. His partner, Pyrrha, stood at his side with a hand on his shoulder, providing what little comfort she could. The other two members, who Ruby now knew as Nora and Ren, stood behind them, observing as they usually did, Nora bouncing off the walls and Ren calmly observing. A smile crept across Ruby's face as she thought back to the last week, and how she had come to know the quirky team across the hall.

Ruby's own team had had an uneventful week, simply surviving the first round of classes. So far, neither Blake nor Ruby had told Weiss about their Faunus heritage, and Ruby was starting to feel guilty. 'I'll tell her soon, very soon.' Ruby told herself. 'But first, I need to get this workout in. If I don't burn off this energy soon, I'm going to lose my mind. There's only so much that running can do.'

Yang seemed just an eager as Ruby, cracking her knuckles with a devilish grin. Blake stood behind her, silently watching her partner, smirking at her clear impatience. Weiss, to Ruby's surprise, was just as eager as Yang. She had seemed relatively bored with the simplicity classes today, but here she was, flexing her hand where hilt of Myrtenaster would be.

Finally, Goodwitch walked into the ring at the center of the room. Simply the click of her heels commanded attention, turning all eyes on her. Once silence had completely fallen, Professor Goodwitch spoke to the class.

"Welcome to sparring. I'm sure that many of you have sparred in the past, but make no assumptions about this class. Most days in here, we will spar in random pairs, training you for different opponents with different fighting styles, but for the first few months, you will spar your partners. As the person you will be fighting alongside for the next four years and possibly beyond, it is important that you know your partner's fighting style inside and out. There is no better way to learn this than sparring against and with each other. At the end of most sessions, I will have a few students duel tournament style in the center ring, giving you a chance to test your skills, as well as learn from other's mistakes. Today, however, there will only be one match. Today's example will be a taste of what is in your futures. Ms. Rose, Ms. Xiao Long, will you please come take the center ring?"

Ruby and Yang exchanged confused glances before heading down to the ring. Whatever Professor Goodwitch had planned, she hadn't told either of them beforehand.

"I would like you two to demonstrate what two people who have trained and sparred together for years can achieve in a sparring environment. As both of you having been trained by Qrow, I would expect you be the most effective example of this. Normally, I would ask you to do tournament style combat, but as this is a surprise demonstration, I will allow you to set your own ground rules. First, however, you may head through the door to the left to collect your combat gear."

Ruby and Yang once again glanced at each other, but this time, it was in anticipation. It had been so long since they had sparred, and this would be a great way to release all the pent up energy of the past week. When they returned 5 minute later, they entered the middle ring and stood facing each other.

"Style?" Yang asked simply.

"Hand-to-hand, no weapons." Ruby quickly replied.

Both of them quickly set their weapons off to the side before Yang continued, "Handicaps?"

"No semblance."

"Goal?"

"How much time do we have?" Ruby asked as she turned to Professor Goodwitch.

"About 10 minutes," the teacher replied easily.

"3 consecutive hits," Ruby said plainly as she turned back to Yang. "Yours?"

"2 solid hits."

"On Weiss?"

"On Weiss."

Now Weiss had no idea what was happening. This had so far been chaotic, but at least she could understand what they had meant. But what was this 'On Weiss," stuff they were talking about? "On my what?" Weiss called out, still extremely confused.

As soon as Weiss had started speaking, however, the two sisters have clashed in the center ring, charging at each other at speeds few could achieve. Their fists met in the middle of the ring, sending a shockwave out around them, whipping back the hair of every student in the room. Yang had a devilish smile on her face, as if she had been waiting for this for a long time. Ruby's face, however, was completely calm, not showing a single emotion as she flowed around Yang's punches. When they had started, many students had been surprised when Yang had said her goal was to land just 2 hits on Ruby. But now that they watched her fight, the speed at which Ruby moved, the fluidity of her steps, they knew that landing one hit on Ruby would be impossible for them. Yet Yang thought that she could do it twice before time ran out. Yet so far, no matter where Yang punched, Ruby always seemed to have a way to slip by her fist.

Ruby, on the other hand, struck out whenever she had the chance. Almost every encounter she landed blows on Yang, but she had yet to reach her goal. Twice, Ruby had managed to land two quick blows on Yang, but both times, Yang had struck out at Ruby, forcing her to fall back before she gave up a free hit to Yang. What slowly became apparent to the audience were the differences in raw strength. While Ruby was no weakling, her punches still had no effect on Yang. Ruby clearly knew to fear Yang's punches, and the explosive power behind them. If you took a hit from Yang and you weren't prepared, you weren't getting up any time soon.

The sisters preformed their vicious dance, attacking and evading with practiced precision. After about 5 minutes of constantly trading blows, however, Ruby made her mistake. While striking out a Yang, she landed two blows and saw an opportunity to finish with a blow to Yang's sholder. It was halfway through her strike though, she caught the smile on Yang's face. She had fallen for the trap. Before she could jump back or block the incoming shot, Yang struck out with unrivaled speed. The shot connected with Ruby's left shoulder, sending her spinning away. Despite the force of the blow, Ruby managed to reorient herself and land on her feet, facing Yang with a devious grin. If Yang hadn't chosen to be a huntress, she could have easily been a professional boxer, her punches being invisible to the untrained eyes. But Ruby wasn't a slouch. She had trained hard in her uncle's marital art, and her speed could easily exceed Yang's, even without her semblance.

Cracking her neck, Ruby readied herself for her next maneuver, knowing that whatever happened next could easily decide the winner. Yang matched Ruby's smile, coming to the same conclusion. The rest of the class watched in amazement. They had never seen such a display. The way the fighting techniques flowed one into the next and the counters reacting to counters. It was mesmerizing to the inexperienced students. Pyrrha shook her head as Jaune stared speechless. She had seen these two fight the Nevermore, and she would have expected no less from a duel between them. She had a fair amount of experience in dueling rings, but even she couldn't be positive she could best either of them in a similar situation. The way they moved, naturally predicting their opponents move and instinctively moving to counter, told the story of their combat experience. This was a game to them, nothing compared to the hell they had seen.

Blake watched intently, following each move with unbreakable interest. She had the seen two warriors battl Grimm, but she had yet to see how they would react to intelligent opponents. Yang maintained her boxing stance, lightly bouncing on the balls of her feet, ready for whatever Ruby had planned for her, much like she had in the forest. Ruby, however, carried herself completely differently. In the forest, she had delivered devastating swipes with her scythe, using her speed to confuse her targets. Now, she chose quick, precise movements, always striking for her opponents critical points, and then quickly retreating from the danger zone. Yet as Blake watched, there was something off about the way she moved, like she was trying to hold something back. Against an opponent like Yang, you would think that she would have to go all out just to keep up in hand-to-hand combat, yet there she was, holding her ground. 'I wonder what her secret is. She moves like one of those beasts from the White Fang. The monsters who traded rational thought for instincts.' With every passing moment, Blake became more and more intrigued in the young wolf Faunus's fighting style. It followed no martial art that Blake knew, but it was clearly a practiced discipline. It utilized every instinct she had, but not once did she let them take over her thought. Whatever her methods were, they worked. Even among the wolf Faunus, who were famed for their fighting abilities, Ruby was on a whole different level. Then again, there Yang was, duking it out with her sister, easily matching her strike for strike.

Weiss's initial disappointment at not being chosen to spar had quickly faded. This fight was unlike anything she had seen. Even when Ruby had beaten the alpha Beowolf bare handed, she hadn't been this enthralled. She had been taught grace all her life and was forced to apply it to every aspect of living. She was forced to apply it to her walk, her talk, her dancing, and of course, her fighting. Yet despite all that training, despite all the work she had put into it, she knew that she had never once matched the splendor she was seeing now.

The beauty of the duel was lost to most of the students, but Weiss wasn't an average student. She saw the way that the two read each other, anticipating their every move. They flowed through their steps and danced around the ring. One would have thought they were of the same mind, always knowing what the other would do. Weiss had always dreamed of moving like that, but had never found anyone that could keep up with her. Maybe Ruby would finally fill that gap.

Weiss found herself particularly focused on Ruby. The sheer joy that shown in her eyes, the excitement in the bounce of her step. This was different from the Ruby that she had seen in past week. That Ruby had been restless, like she had been fighting to hold something back. She had kept up her chipper appearance, but Weiss could see, just below the surface of those eyes, was something battling to get out. This was the Ruby that had been out in the forest. The one who could go and be what she wanted to be. This was the Ruby who had flown at the Nevermore. A thought brought a smile to Weiss's face. Now she could see the true Ruby, the happy Ruby. At that moment, Ruby looked up into the stands and noticed Weiss staring at her. Ruby gave Weiss a small smile and a wink before turning back to the duel at hand. Weiss felt her face start to heat up in embarrassment, but why was she embarrassed? Was it because she had been staring, or because she had been caught staring? And when Ruby had winked at her, Weiss had felt a little flutter in her chest. 'Oh Dust,' Weiss thought with a start. 'Am I falling for Ruby? No, no, no, I can't fall for Ruby, I've barely known her for a week. Besides, I don't even know what she likes. I can't let this happen.'

It was that exact moment that Ruby chose to strike. With speed that most the class was unable to follow, she rushed at Yang's right side, throwing two quick jabs with her left. Yang easily blocked the two, but it left her open to Ruby's right, and Ruby landed two blows to Yang's lower ribcage. But the movement had left Ruby exposed. Yang threw a punch at Ruby's unguarded midsection, but Ruby suddenly wasn't there. With a small twirl, Ruby had spun around Yang's arm, and delivered a final blow at Yang's now exposed back.

The second the blow landed, both the sisters jumped away from each other and bowed, accepting the end of the match. The hall was silent, stunned at the sudden finish. Professor Goodwitch stepped forward, once again taking command of the class.

"And that, students, is just a small taste of what is possible if you put forth effort to learn about your partner, and yourself, through sparring. Even with the lack of regulation, Ms. Rose and Ms. Xiao Long set up a combat situation where they would be equally matched and would both benefit from the battle. Ms. Rose, Ms. Xiao Long, I have one question though.'

Ruby hadn't expected this. "Yes, Professor?"

"Why were the two of you holding back?"

Muttering resounded through the gymnasium. "Holding back? But that was the best fight I've ever seen!" "That's better than I dream of, and they were holding back?"

Yang and Ruby exchanged a look of disbelief. They had been found out? Yang shook her head and chuckled. "We were holding back because last time we went all out, it lasted most of a day and we had destroyed the clearing we dueled in. We figured that this time, we would try to keep everything in one piece."

"If I may ask, were the conditions of that match similar to today's?" Goodwitch pressed on.

"Exact same, except the time limit," Ruby said nervously. She hadn't wanted to be the center of attention like this. All she had wanted to do was duel and be free for a little bit, not be called out for not putting forth effort.

"Thank you for the concern, but next time, simply battle. I'll worry about the clean-up afterwards," Goodwitch said without emotion. But Ruby could have sworn that there was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "Very well, class dismissed. Would the members of team RWBY please wait a bit and speak with me before leaving? The rest of you, enjoy your weekend"

Weiss was surprised by the Professor's request. Other than that duel, their team hadn't done anything to deserve a teacher's attention yet. So what exactly did Goodwitch want? Rather than debating it in her head, Weiss stood and turned to Blake, who nodded and followed Weiss down to the stairs to the center ring where their partner's waited.

Ruby looked up at Weiss and smiled brightly. "Hey Weiss, enjoy the show?"

Weiss looked at the joy in her partner's eyes and couldn't help but smile back. "It was interesting to say the least." Weiss said simply, as emotions still raged inside her. Once again, Weiss found herself lost in those silver eyes, shining back with such unfiltered happiness. Weiss thought she might drown in the joy. 'I can't let this happen. I can't fall for her. We can't get any closer than we already are.' Yet here she was, smiling like an idiot the partner that was slowly worming her way into her heart.

"That was an excellent duel," Blake commented beside Weiss, breaking her out of her trance. "There are very few people I have ever seen that can fight like that while holding back."

"Indeed," came a voice from behind Weiss. Goodwitch had returned to the sparring ring, looking pleased with the outcome of today. "That was beyond my expectations for this class, but I still know that you can go well beyond that. Qrow would have seen to that. Still, I appreciate the effort not to destroy the room and endanger the class."

"Happy to oblige," Yang spouted with a grin.

"I was one of the teachers observing the students in the forest, and I was watching while you battled the Nevermore. I am more than aware of what you are capable of. In fact, I know all of you have more experience with sparing than almost any other student in this room. Ms. Nikkos and Mr. Ren are the only two that can match you in that regard. But they have their own partners who are less experienced at sparing, and that is why they aren't here right now. I can only grant this to full teams, so be happy that your team is so exceptional. This sparring gymnasium is generally only open the third years and above without instructor supervision. However, given the experience you all share, you are welcome to enter and practice whenever you see fit. You must still come to sparring class, as class structure will still help you improve, but not as much as your individual training regiments that I'm sure you all have. Simply wave your scrolls at the doors and they will unlock briefly for you."

"Wow, really?!" Ruby exclaimed, clearly overjoyed by the thought of being able to train whenever she wanted.

"Yes. All the facilities here are open to you, including the locker room, the adjoining weight room, and the track ringing this room."

Ruby just seem to get more and more excited, looking all around her and finally noticing the track that looped around the room and looked down on the sparring ring. Then, as if remembering she was supposed to be the team leader, she took on a much more serious expression. "Thank you Professor. We will be sure to use the facilities to their fullest."

Goodwitch seemed to accept that, and with a small nod of her head, she turned and walked out of the gym.

"YES! Yesyesyes! Yes!" Ruby finally lost her control and cheered at the top of her lungs as soon as Goodwitch left.

"Ruby, calm down a bit. We didn't win the lottery, we're just allowed the use the gym without asking for permission first," Weiss sighed with a shake of her head.

"Now I can finally just work out without having to ask a teacher first! This is going to be awesome!" Ruby had calmed down a bit, but she wasn't going to stop cheering anytime soon.

* * *

><p>Ruby sat in the garden, relaxing after a long run. It had been a month since Goodwitch had asked Yang and Ruby to duel for the class, and everything had been going smoothly for team RWBY. Before, he had been worried about how she would get her morning workouts in before classes started, but because of their privilege, it wasn't a problem. This way, she could still train with her inner wolf without risking it getting too restless. Ruby wasn't sure she could have gone another week like the first one, but now, that wasn't a concern.<p>

But that wasn't the reason she was out here. The sun was starting to dip out of the sky, and she should have gone back to the dorms long ago, but she just couldn't get a thought out of her head. Weiss. She still didn't know about Ruby being a Faunus, and Ruby didn't want her to find out by accident. She had to tell her. Ruby didn't know why, but that had been the single most important thing for her. Ruby simply had to tell her. But there was something else. This feeling in her chest whenever she saw Weiss, it wasn't something she was used to. The fluttering whenever she heard her chuckle, the way her stomach turned whenever Weiss smiled at her. Was this was it was like to love someone? Ruby couldn't be sure, as she had never felt this way before. Sure, she loved Yang and the rest of her family, but that was family. This, this was new to Ruby.

This feeling had slowly been growing over the course of the month, growing stronger with each passing day. When they sparred, Ruby fell into a natural rhythm as she learned about Weiss's inner warrior. When they studied, Weiss guided Ruby through the complexities of the works, slowly reviving Ruby's inner scholar. And when they were relaxing, Ruby simply enjoyed her presence, slowly coaxing out the softer side of Weiss that not many got to see.

Her ears perked up as she once again heard familiar footsteps. "Over here Yang!" Ruby called out, knowing that her sister would otherwise walk right by.

"I knew that!" came the reply, mildly annoyed to have been called out. "Whatcha doing out here Rubes? Seems a little early for your evening stroll."

"I could ask you the same thing, seeing as you weren't out her looking for me."

"I hate how you can do that," Yang sighed. "I just need to think about things, try to figure out my own thoughts, you know?"

"No kidding. I'm out here for the same reason." Ruby enjoyed these casual talks with Yang. They provided a little bit of insight on her sister that she rarely got to see.

"Let me guess, Weiss?"

"Is it really that easy to tell?" Ruby was mildly upset she was so easy to read. "Yeah, I need to tell her the truth about who I am. My ears hurt when I have to hold them down all day long."

"But that's not all there is, is it?" Yang commented knowingly.

"And I hate how you do that. Your right, there's more. Whenever I see her, I just get this feeling in my gut. During our sparring match at the start of the year, I saw her watching me, and I gave her a wink. I don't know why, it just seemed like the right thing to do. I don't know what's happening to me, Yang," Ruby sighed, defeated.

"Sound to me like my sister has her first crush and on the Ice Queen no less."

"Don't call her that, you know she's not like that."

"I know Rubes, I'm just teasing. I just never expected you to be a switch hitter."

"I've never felt this way about anyone, so how would you know? I never had any issues when you showed up with a girl on your arm. But now, it's me, and I have no idea what to do."

"Well, how do you feel about her?" Yang encouraged Ruby.

"Well, she's smart. Smarter than anyone I know. When she helps me with homework, she tells me things that aren't even in the history books. And to make sure I learn it, she encourages me towards the right answer instead of giving it to me and being done with it."

'I don't quite remember it going quite like that, but hey, it's her crush, not mine.' Yang thought before Ruby continued.

"She moves with a grace I've never seen before. She's always in control and has that air of confidence. And then there are her eyes. Those aquamarine gems with a fire burning just beneath the surface. Gentle yet determined. They are just so beautiful to look at."

"Then there you go sis. Go talk to her. Tell her everything you just told me. Tell her how you feel."

"But what if that ruins our relationship? What if I lose her as a friend? What if she doesn't like girls like that?"

"Those are all 'what if's, Ruby. You won't know unless you try. And who knows, it's still early. Even if she doesn't return the feelings, you can still build a friendship off what you already have. You worked together to take down a giant Nevermore. You can work this out."

"Thanks Yang," Ruby said gratefully. If it wasn't for her sister, Ruby would have ended up sitting out here all night, watching the moon rise. "By the way, what were you thinking about when you came wandering around here?"

"Huh? Oh nothing you need to worry about right now. Just trying to figure out what I want."

Ruby didn't press any farther. If her sister was ready to talk about this, she would have. She had been better the last few days, not wallowing in a pit of her own darkness. Besides, Ruby already had a good idea of what Yang was thinking about. A smile came to Ruby's face as a thought crossed her mind. But she kept that to herself. Yang would figure it out on her own time.

"Alright then, I'm going to go find Weiss and tell her everything. Starting with these," Ruby announced, wiggling her ears.

"Atta girl. I'll come along too. I want to see the look on her face when she hears this.

* * *

><p>"I don't think I can do this," Ruby gulped as she stood before the dorm room door. Her confidence had evaporated as soon as she walked in the dorm. 'What can I say to her? "Hey Weiss, I know we've been partners for about a month, but I've got a surprise for you! I'm a Faunus and I have a crush on you. So, what are your thoughts?"' That obviously wasn't going to work.<p>

"Of course you can Ruby, believe in yourself. And in Weiss. She is your partner," Yang comforted. "No matter what you say, that's not changing anytime soon."

'Easier said than done,' Ruby thought gloomily. 'Okay, one thing at a time. I'll let her know I'm a Faunus and see what happens from there. What could go wrong? Other than her hating me forever. No, don't think like that, you just have to believe in her.' Ruby scolded herself with a shake of her head. She had never been this scared in her entire life. Not since her mother had died anyways. But this was a different kind of fear. What would Ruby do if her partner rejected her? Just what would happen?

That would have to wait for later. Now, she had to do this. With a step forward, she opened the door to their shared dorm room and proclaimed, "Weiss! We need to talk. I'm a Faunus!"

She was met with silence. Ruby had just shouted into an empty room. Behind her, she heard Yang stifling a laugh, but refused to turn around and let Yang see her embarrassment.

"Nice try Rubes, but you need to actually make sure that she's there first," Yang chuckled. "She's probably at the end of the hall. Its Friday night, you know she likes watching stuff in the evening."

Still embarrassed, Ruby slowly turned and walked out the door, trying to avoid Yang's eyes. That was, until a firm hand clamped down on her shoulder, stopping her mid-stride.

"That was good though. You don't have to shout it quite like you did, but let her know that this is important to you. You'll do fine sis," Yang smiled at Ruby, amusement still sparkling in her eyes. "I'll go check the other end of the hall to make sure she's not there, so good luck!"

Yang's reassurance did little to calm Ruby's nerves. She had been going over what to say in her head for the entire trip, and it was nowhere near what she had shouted in the dorm room. Why was she this nervous? She had told people about her heritage before without so much as stutter. What had happened then hadn't mattered to her. But here she was with these gut retching nerves.

The door at the end of the hall slowly approached, only causing Ruby to get more anxious. When Ruby finally stopped before it, her heart had worked itself into a frenzy. She could feel its pounding against her chest, as if it was trying to jump out. As he reached out and started to open the door, the blood was rushing through her ears. The roar was so overwelming, she almost didn't hear the words that wafted through the now half open door.

"Those Faunus are the cause of everything wrong with the world."

Ruby froze mid motion. That voice had belonged to Weiss. Without saying a word, Ruby let go of the door, turned and sprinted past Yang, fighting back tears. She was so distraught, she didn't hear the cries following her, or notice when the hallway flashed in a blaze of light.

* * *

><p><strong>And there it is. Whats going to happen now? How could Weiss say that? Will she survive whats coming? Well, you'll find out after I finish my tests coming up. Which I should really be studying for. Meh. Responsibilities. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Peace out.<strong>

**A neutron walks into a bar. He asks the bartender, "How much for a beer?" The bartender replies, "For you, no charge".**

_**Ok, these are getting bad, but its funny for me when I make other Chem E's come up with them. I'll run out soon enough.**_


	6. Day Full of Surprises

**You guys just keep blowing me away. 130 followers. You guys have almost put me in the top 50 for the M rated category. I know, that's selective, but its something that I never expected, especially after 5 chapters. Thank you all for the support you have given for this. As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

><p>Weiss sat in the common room at the end of the dorm hall. As the dorm rooms didn't have their own monitors, this was the only way the Weiss was going to get the news without using her computer. And that was currently charging in her bed. 'One of these days I'm going to learn to charge that as I sleep.' But for now, all she had to do was relax on the couch, and let her mind wander as commercials danced on the screen.<p>

She thought back over the last month, how she had met her team, how they had slowly bonded, how she had made her first friends. 'Is that sad? I'm 20 years old, 21 after the New Year, and just now have I made my first friends.' Weiss smiled as she remembered all they had done over the past month. The work they had bemoaned over, the lectures they sat through, the laughs they had shared.

One laugh in particular rang through her mind, accompanied by that pair of silver eyes. Ruby had, by far, been the most open to Weiss, accepting who she was and bringing her in on, well, everything. Conversations, games, study groups, Weiss wouldn't be part of any of it if it wasn't for Ruby. That girl was the only one that had even attempted to break through her frozen exterior. The red-clad leader had slowly wormed her way into Weiss's life. And her heart. Whenever Weiss saw that smile or heard that signature giggle, Weiss felt her heart flutter. When they sparred, Weiss felt them fall into a smooth rhythm, working their way towards the dance that Weiss dreamed of. Ruby even invaded Weiss's dreams as of late. The night before, they had walked along the garden path, talking sweet nonsense, and Ruby had leaned over and kissed Weiss. When Weiss had woken up, she had a smile on her lips and a blush on her cheek.

'Just what am I going to do?' Weiss despaired. 'I can't just tell her, she's my partner, hell, my leader. We will be together for the next 4 years, end of story. So what if I tell her and she doesn't feel the same way? It will never be the same again! I bet she would start avoiding me whenever possible, and I wouldn't hear that giggle anymore!' Weiss's mind continued to run through the worst case scenarios, until the news finally returned, giving Weiss something to take her mind off Ruby.

"The White Fang has struck once again, this time hijacking a tanker out at sea, claiming the ship and all the Dust loaded onto it. The tanker was owned by Schnee Dust Company, and was in route to Vale from Mistral. This is not the first time the White Fang has stolen from the SDC, but it is the first time they have taken a ship at sea, showing that they have been growing in power and resources. This is the largest Dust shipment stolen since the Vanishing Train incident that occurred half a year ago. Unfortunately, unlike the train, there were no survivors."

Weiss muted the television and placed her head in her hands. This was not the distraction she wanted. Just how long was this madness going to continue? How long would her family's company have to live in fear of the White Fang and their violent measures? How long before they realized that they weren't furthering any cause for equality? What would it take them to finally stop the killing? Weiss knew the answer to that last one. It would just as long as it took her father to realize his practices needed to change. But that wasn't going to happen this century. He had been raised with an old world mindset, and refused to follow the world as it changed. If things didn't change soon, her father alone could drive the world to another Faunus Revolution.

But just how was Weiss going to change anything? Since when had her father listened to what she had to say? Even if he had never been around, her father hand always held a firm grip on her life. The family tutors only taught what he wanted them to teach. His children would think like he would if he had anything to say about it. Or so he thought. Weiss had been tutored as he had instructed, but he could never stop her from looking for more. Always thirsting for actual knowledge, Weiss had scoured the family library, reading every book that she could understand. Dust, its uses, the history of mankind, the ever changing sciences, all of it, she had learned about in that hallowed room. Those books taught her more about history and the outside world than all of the tutors combined. She hadn't even touched a fraction of its immense size, but she still had used it more than her father ever had.

It was when she turned 10 that her father had ordered that she be taught how to fight. Myrtenaster, the family weapon, had hung over the fireplace for decades, no one in the family having the talent to wield it. The sword itself was always sharp, kept it top condition by the dust that ran the length of the blade. Weiss's family had never understood this, just assuming that the sword had some sort of magical properties. But Weiss wasn't her family. In her readings, she had taught herself all there was to know about Dust and how it could be used. She knew what each variety did, what happened when they were mixed, the different ways they were applied, all of it. That was why, when she was given the blade, for the first time in decades, the blade reacted, seeming to accept Weiss as its master.

Perhaps this had encouraged her father. Perhaps it had angered him. Either way, he had ordered Weiss to be tested by sending her to face the armor in the grand hall. The suit had been the way to test warriors of the past, and was one of the last of its kind. Weiss had entered with Myrtenaster, confident in her skills. She had left, blood streaking down the left side of her face, but victorious none the less.

Whatever his reasons may have been, Weiss began to resent her father. He was never around, yet he still maintained a strangle hold on her life. Any freedom she had previously been granted was immediately taken away. He had said that distractions would deter from her training, which became an all-day affair. Each day, Weiss had been forced to endure grueling exercises with no chance of escape. It had been unbearable, and turned her cold to those around her. That coldness slowly leaked into her soul, and had become a part of her. Yet, in the end, that coldness and training had been what saved her life.

Before she could continue that thought, she heard the door behind her open. She turned to see Blake walk into the room, silently shutting the door behind her and padding over to the chair to Weiss's left. She never said a word, gliding into the seat with a silence that Weiss had become accustomed to. Blake sat with her legs brought up to her chest, turned so she would face Weiss. When she had settled in though, Blake surprised her.

"We need to talk Weiss."

That was more than the girl in the bow had said to Weiss all week. She didn't know how to reply, so instead she simply shut off the monitor and turned to her teammate. Looking her dead in the eye, she gave the girl an encouraging nod, signaling her to go on.

"I've been keeping a secret from you. It's only fair you should know the truth if we will be working together. I don't care what you think afterwards, but I want to be the one to say this rather than it slipping out on accident."

What could this girl be talking about? What terrible secret could she have that Weiss would care about? Blake was Yang's partner, not hers, so it was more than reasonable for her to have her secrets from Weiss. "You don't have to tell me anything. You're entitled to your own secrets."

"I'm going to tell you this one anyways. This directly affects you, and you have every right to know." And with that, Blake slowly reached up, and undid her bow. Weiss was confused by this action. What secret could this possibly reveal? That was, until she saw the two small triangle on Blake's head.

"You're a cat Faunus?" Weiss muttered under her breath. Of all the things Weiss had expected, this was by far the strangest. It had never once crossed her mind what might lay beneath that bow. Though it explained why Blake always wore it. Everywhere. Even to bed. 'Then again, how the _hell_ did I miss this?' Weiss berated herself. "Ok, so what does that have to do with me?"

"That's all you have to say?" Surprise flashed across Blake's features, but it was quickly replaced with anger. "'What does that have to do with me?' It has everything to do with you! Your family has a long history of hating the Faunus, of enslaving Faunus, Hell, your uncle has been accused of hunting Faunus! I expected more of a reaction than, 'What does that have to do with me?'"

"Blake, I want to just point one thing out to you," Weiss calmly proceeded, despite Blake's outburst. "Every bad thing you just listed off started with something about my family. Realize one thing. I am not my family. They are despicable, racist, loveless people who only care about their money and the business. The only one who has ever shown me any love is my mother, yet she's generally too busy making sure my father doesn't cause another international incident, so she never even gets to come home and see me. They weren't the ones that raised me. I raised myself. And you know what I decided? I want nothing to do with them. When it comes my time, I will take over the company, and I will run it my way. I am not blind to the atrocities that my family has committed. Hell, you make it clear the first day we met that no one here is. But I did not make them. I have nothing against the Faunus people." Weiss's voice stayed steady throughout the entire speech, her steady blue eyes never once leaving Blake's amber ones.

Blake sat in stunned silence. Blake had been so harsh to the girl, called her out on everything that her family had done, and yet here she was, calmly telling her that none of this was news. That she wanted nothing to do with her family. This make Blake feel even worse for what she was about to say.

"The ears are only the first part of what I want to tell you," Blake finally mustered. "This is the part that I'm worried about. It's about my past, and you might not like it." Blake took a deep breath, gathered the courage needed, and let the truth fly. "I used to be part of the White Fang."

Weiss's eyes froze on Blake. At first she said nothing as she slowly processed what she had just heard. Finally, she calmly replied, "You said 'used to', right?"

"What?" Blake was caught off guard. That wasn't the question she had been expecting. "Yes, I was a member until about 6 months ago, technically."

"What's technically?"

"I was part of the group, but I no longer shared their beliefs. It was about 6 months ago someone finally got me out."

"Just how long had you been part of that organization?" Weiss pressed.

"My whole life. I was born into it. Well, I was born into the peaceful White Fang."

"Then why should this bother me?"

"What?!" Blake shouted, once again getting upset. How could this girl be taking this so calmly? Blake had been struggling on what to say all month, yet here Weiss was, accepting it all without a fight. "I was part of the White Fang! They have made multiple attempts on your family's life! On your life! How can you be so okay with this?!"

"I'm okay with it for a number of reasons. One is that it's you telling me this. If you had wanted to kill me or to spy on me, you would have never told me about your past, or let alone you being a Faunus. If I found out from someone else, I might be for concerned. Two, they made 'attempts' on my life. They failed. Quite spectacularly too if I might add. Three, it's you Blake. It may have only been a month, but I've come to trust you as my teammate. You don't know how much it has meant to me, getting to know you, Yang, and Ruby, and trying to become your friend. All my life, I've been surrounded by servants, people who were paid to be around me. You three are the first friends that I've ever had. Hell, you're more like family to me than my own family, and like I said, it's only been a month. While I will never forgive the White Fang for straying onto their current path, I can forgive you. I feel I know you well enough to know that you would not blindly anyone. You will see what is wrong and choose your own path."

Blake was stunned. She had never expected such compassion from this girl, who seemed so cold and withdrawn from the outside world. "I'm sorry, but I just find this hard to believe. How can you be so forgiving to the White Fang after what has happened?"

"I'm not forgiving the White Fang, I'm forgiving you." Weiss repeated. "Don't get me wrong, I hate the White Fang with a passion. They have killed countless family members and employees, some of which I almost cared about, stolen thousands from my family, and basically ruined my childhood. But they haven't stopped with my family. They terrorize the innocent, kill anyone who get in their way, and cause chaos in general. Those Faunus are the cause of everything wrong with world."

Behind Weiss, she heard the door creak once again. 'Who could it be this time?' Weiss thought as she turned around. But she just saw the door half open. No one entered the room, no one said anything. But Blake had shut the door behind her, so it couldn't open on its own. Then something caught her eye. Rose petals slowly drifted down to the floor, coming to a silent rest.

"Ruby? Is that you?" Weiss called out, confused.

"Oh boy," Weiss heard Blake say, "This is going to end badly."

"What are you talking about Blake?"

"Weiss, strengthen your aura now."

"Why would I do that?"

"Just do it now!"

Confused, Weiss complied, just in time for the room to be filled with a blaze of light. An inferno slowly drifted towards Weiss, oozing killing intent. Before Weiss could figure out what was going on, a blow struck her on the side of her head with enough force to send her flying into the wall, almost blowing her through it. Pain coursed through Weiss, as she tried to sit back up, her eyes hazy. If she hadn't put up her aura like Blake had told her, she'd be dead right now. Just what was happening? Before her, she now saw Blake standing between her and the fire, shouting at it. What was she saying? It sounded like she was telling it to calm down. What good would that do? Then again, how had fire hit her? Slowly, the flames began to die down, allowing a figure within the flames to slowly come into vision. Was that, Yang?

* * *

><p>It had taken a half hour before Yang was calm enough to speak, but she still stared at Weiss with enough killing intent to stop an Ursa in its tracks.<p>

"What did you say to her?" Yang finally uttered in a low voice.

"Say to who? Blake?" Weiss asked, making sure to keep her distance.

"What did you say to Ruby?" Yang growled through gritted teeth, the room starting to heat up again.

"I haven't seen Ruby since this morning. I don't know what you're talking about." Weiss insisted.

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT SHIT!" Yang shouted, sparks flying from her hair once more, fist striking the wall. Where her fist landed, cracks splintered outward, as if hoping to escape the Blond's fury. "She was looking for you, and suddenly she runs by me with tears in her eyes! Now tell me what you said!"

'Ruby was crying?' Weiss wasn't sure what to think of this. The girl always seemed so chipper. What could have caused such a change?

"Yang, calm down. Weiss, go find Ruby, you need to figure this out yourself," Blake interrupted.

"She isn't going anywhere until she tells me what happened in here!" Yang shouted, jabbing a finger in Weiss's direction.

"I will tell you exactly what happened, but she needs to find Ruby. It's a misunderstanding. Now go Weiss. She's probably in the garden," Blake said finally. There was to be no arguing.

"Just know," Yang said over her shoulder as Weiss walked out the door, "that if your hurt my sister, in any way, you WILL regret it."

Without saying a word in response, Weiss walked out the door and shut it behind her. Just what was going on here? What had happened to peacefully sitting in the common area? And why did Blake seem to know everything that was going on? She would have to figure that out later. First, apparently, she had to find Ruby.

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><p>Weiss walked among the trees of the garden, still confused as to why she had to come here. Why had Ruby run off like that without saying anything? Why had she been crying? What had she wanted to talk to Weiss about? There were so many questions, but the only way to get answers would be to find Ruby.<p>

If Ruby was going to be anywhere, I would be under these trees. 'How is this girl so hard to find among the trees? She wears a red cloak! You would think she would stick right out!' Weiss thought in frustration. She called out Ruby's name a number of times, but was always met with silence. In fact, the whole area was silent. It was almost as if the trees were angry at Weiss too.

Finally, she heard a soft sob a short distance away. Slowly Weiss worked her way to the source of the sound, wondering just what she was going to say. Then again, she could figure all that out later. First, she had to find her partner somewhere in these woods.

When Weiss finally found Ruby, it was only because she almost tripped over her. Despite the girl wearing her red cloak with her hood up, she blended in nearly perfectly with the surroundings, melting into the forest. The only thing that gave her away was when she swiped at the tears that were flowing down her face. Just at the sight of her, Weiss's heart shattered to pieces, knowing that this was somehow her fault. She sat down next to Ruby, unsure of what to say. Here was this girl, her partner, the girl she secretly loved, crying about something that Weiss had done, when Weiss didn't even know what that was. Lucky for Weiss, Ruby spoke up first.

"Weiss, do you remember the first time we met? You yelled and yelled at me, and right as I was about to snap, Blake showed up. She brought up all the horrible things that your family had done, all the atrocities committed in the name of profit. But she wasn't saying anything new. I already knew all about the Schnee Dust Company, all I had needed to hear was your name to make the connection. And you know what? I didn't care. Even if your family had set fire to half the world, as long as you hadn't done it personally, it didn't matter to me."

Weiss remained silence, unsure of where Ruby was going with this. Taking the silence as encouragement, Ruby continued, "That night, when we spoke, you told me that you weren't your family. And I believed you. After all, you seemed kind and gentle, despite that cold front you put up. So tell me why, why do you hate the Faunus?"

Shocked by the sudden claim, Weiss sat silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. She wasn't sure why, but the way Ruby spoke, it broke Weiss's heart once more. In the end, all she managed was, "Why do you think I hate the Faunus?"

"I heard you." Ruby spoke in barely a whisper. "Whoever you were talking to, I heard you say 'Those Faunus are the cause of everything wrong with world.' Why would you say that Weiss? What have we done to you?"

"I wasn't talking about all Faunus, Ruby," Weiss sighed, "I was talking about the White Fang and what they've done to me and the world." Then something Ruby had said clicked. "Wait a moment, Ruby, did you just say 'we'?"

A sad smile broke on Ruby's face, tears still streaked down her face. "Whoops," Ruby said softly, and then she reached and slowly pulled her hood back. There, atop her head, sat two things that Weiss never expected. Sticking up in the air, were two sharp ears. "It's a little awkward, showing them off like this. This isn't quite how I wanted to tell you, but there it is."

Weiss just stared in amazement. How had she never noticed this? And why was Ruby only telling her this now? Weiss stopped herself before asking that question. The answer was obvious. Her family. Even if Ruby was willing to accept Weiss, deep down, there was always the fear the Weiss would be like her family. Slowly, Weiss reached over and wrapped her arm around Ruby, pulling her close. "You don't have to be scared Ruby. I'm not my family. I won't judge you for what you are."

As Weiss held Ruby, she noticed the younger girl start to tremble. Slowly, Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss, pulling her closer as she broke out in tears once more. "You have no idea how scared I was." Ruby chocked out. "I've told people about myself before, but never before have I been so scared. I was afraid that you would hate me for not telling you sooner, and you would leave me! I've never been this close to anyone before, besides Yang, and I couldn't lose you! I know it's only been a month! I know we're just getting to know each other, but I just can't!"

"It's okay Ruby, I'm here, and I don't plan on going anywhere. Just make sure you stay here with me."

Slowly, Ruby began to calm down, her breaths became for steady, and tears stopped streaming from her eyes. However, she wouldn't let go of Weiss. Weiss was her anchor right now, and letting go would cause Ruby to be swept along in a stream of emotions once again. "I'm sorry Weiss," Ruby mumbled into her partners shoulder.

"Why's that Ruby? I'm the one who screwed up. I made you think I hate you. I should have never made you hurt like that."

"I should have told you the first day we met, I should have told you in the forest. I've been hiding so much from you, and I don't even know where to start."

"Then don't," Weiss told her, "Not yet anyway. Tell me when you're ready. Until then, just stay with me Ruby. I can't lose you either. To be honest, this is the closest I've ever been with anyone. All my life, I've been secluded because of my overbearing father, and I never really got close to anyone. But now, because of you, and because of the team, I have friends. That's something I never imagined having. I don't know what I would do without you."

Ruby look up at Weiss, her silver eyes still glittering with tears. Weiss gently lifted her finger to Ruby's face and wiped the tear away. Ruby's hand came up and caught Weiss's before she could pull it away. Looking Weiss straight in the eyes, Ruby nervously said "Weiss, there's one more thing that I need to talk to you about."

Weiss didn't say anything. She just stared into those silver pools, soaking in everything her partner said.

"There… was another reason that I was so upset when I thought you hated the Faunus. Umm... I'm not sure how to say this." Ruby laughed nervously.

Weiss, never once broke her gaze, smiling at the younger girl as she now fidgeted in her arms. Ruby took a deep breath, and shuttered as she let it out.

"The reason I broke down like that, was… uh…I…uh…" Ruby stated to ramble, unsure of how to say what she felt.

Weiss knew what Ruby was going for, and rather than wait for the girl to figure out how to say it, she lifted Ruby's head, bringing Ruby's eyes level with hers. Then, cupping Ruby's face with her hand, Weiss leaned in, and kissed her.

Ruby's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly lost herself in the kiss. The two of them sat beneath the tree, gently kissing, enjoying each other's presence, for what seemed like eternity. There was no battle for dominance. There was no needless wrestling for position. All that there was, was gentle caresses and a loving embrace. When Weiss finally pulled back, a small blush shown on her cheeks and she was panting for breath.

"I know Ruby," Weiss finally broke the silence, leaning her forehead against her partners. "I know how you feel. I've felt the same way for a little while now, but I had no idea about what to do. I wasn't sure how you felt about being with a girl or if you even cared about me like that. All I know is that in the month we've spent at Beacon has been the happiest month of my life. I've gotten to know people like I never thought that I would, and I owe it all to you. You're the first one to give me a chance, to overlook what my family has done and actually get to know me. I guess that in that month, I slowly fell for you. And I've got to say, I couldn't be happier than I am right now."

"Weiss, when I first saw you outside Beacon, I was stunned by the way you looked. The way you walked, the way you talked. They all worked your way into my mind. But what captivated me the most was your eyes. They held a passion that I haven't seen in anyone else. A passion to live, a passion to succeed, a passion to be great. But I also saw loneliness. I saw someone who had been alone for most her life and I felt my heart break a little, because I had known that feeling too. You're someone who has known loss, know what it's like to be alone. I just know one thing. I don't want to be alone anymore. And I don't want you to be alone anymore either."

Tears welled up in Weiss's eyes as she looked down at the young Faunus. She couldn't find the words to say, so one again, she leaned in and kissed her. When they pulled apart once more, they looked out at the sky, which had grown dark in their time together. Despite that, neither of them wanted to ruin the peace of the moment. So that night, they slept under the stars, still in each other's embrace.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it! Happiness and confessions! And before anyone says that sleeping under the stars is a <strong>cliché, I'm from Colorado, so hiking with my girl and sleeping under the stars, that the dream. Course, first, I need to get a girl. Sorry, rambling. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, and I'll be back with the next chapter. Eventually. Hopefully soon. Until then, Peace out!<strong>**

****No bad jokes today, my Chem E roommate is already asleep and I'm too lazy to think one up right now. Next time.****


	7. The Third Path

**Every time. Every time I post a chapter, I think it will be different. I think that I know what's coming. Yet you guys blow me away every time. 161. 161 followers. When I first started writing this, I didn't think I would break 100, let alone this. I just want to thank all of you who have followed and/or favorite this story. I'll probably say this again next chapter, but you are all amazing.**

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><p>A soft breeze drifted through the trees, rustling the leaves and playing their gentle tune. Birds chirped and small rodents scurried by, once again on the hunt for food. The garden went about its daily routine, not a thing out of place. That was, except for the new guest, sleeping beneath a tall oak. Weiss Schnee was currently curled in a ball, wrapping a crimson cloak around her body. Slowly, the sounds of life roused the sleeping girl, returning her to the world of the living.<p>

Weiss blinked back the light as she overcame the morning confusion. Just where was she? Why was she sleeping on the ground instead of her bed? What was she wrapped in? A quick glance at the scarlet cloak answered all of her questions. Ruby. The day before, she had upset Ruby with her careless tongue, a misunderstanding that had led to the best night's sleep Weiss had been granted in her short life.

Slowly, Weiss yesterday's revelations returned to her. She had found out Blake was a Faunus. Not a big deal, not even a big surprise. The part that concerned Weiss was that Blake had once been part of the White Fang. Thankfully, she said she had left, and Weiss believed her, so that had been the end of that. A slightly bigger shock had come shortly after when, after some gentle persuasion from Yang, Weiss had discovered that Ruby, too, was a Faunus. Blake had hidden her ears beneath a bow, but what had Ruby done to make it so she never noticed? Surely just pinning her ears down couldn't have been all she did? Now as Weiss thought back, one more question struck her. Just what ears were those? She had never seen sharp ears like that before. It reminded her of a dogs, but more precise, more defined. Weiss wasn't sure how ears could be any of those things, but they were. 'I really need to pay more attention to details. I'll just have to ask Ruby, I guess.' Weiss thought, a small grin finding its place on her face at the thought of Ruby.

Her day hadn't ended there. As if some sort of grand finale, Ruby had confessed to her. More or less. Weiss had kind of cut her off with a kiss before the girl could finish her thought. A blush dawned on her cheeks as Weiss thought back to all they had said to each other, and how they had spent the night in each other's arms, gazing at the stars that peeked between the tree branches. Weiss still had so many questions bouncing around her head, pushing their way into Weiss's thoughts. What would they do now? Would they carry on like normal? Weiss couldn't see how, considering how they both now knew how the other felt. Would they become a couple? How would they go about it if they did? Where was Ruby now? That last one seemed like a good place to start. Her cloak was still here, keeping Weiss warm as she slumbered. The owner couldn't be far away.

With that thought in mind, Weiss finally gathered enough energy to lift herself off the ground, stretching away the sleep that clung to her muscles. Wrapping the cloak around her, Weiss set off to find her partner, hoping to get answers to at least some of her questions.

"You're going the wrong way, Princess!" A voice called out from the opposite direction that Weiss was now heading. Weiss froze mid stride, turned herself around, and walked back the way she came. Ruby sat on the other side of the tree that Weiss had been slumbering under. Crescent Rose lay across her lap in its deployed form, yet its usual bloodthirsty form seemed to be calmer, gentler than the last time Weiss had seen it. "Almost got it, it won't be long now," Weiss heard Ruby mumble before turning the face Weiss with a smile on her face. "Gooooood morning, Princess!"

"Morning, Ruby," Weiss returned the smile after a small yawn. "Just what are you doing up already?"

"Oh, I just had to complete my morning workout," Ruby replied with a shrug.

"Complete it? How long have you been up?"

After glancing up at the sun Ruby replied, "Looks like it has been about 2 hours."

Weiss's eyes widened in surprise. "2 hours?! How did I sleep though you doing two hours of training?"

"Well, since you were sleeping, I made sure I was quiet. All I did was a bit of technique muscle memory with Crescent Rose, some push-ups, pull-ups, and meditate. Pretty easy morning." A smile crept across Ruby's face. "Didn't want to wake you up too early. I've seen how that goes."

With a sigh, Weiss conceded the point and sat down next to Ruby after placing the cloak back over its owner's shoulders. Ruby collapsed Crescent Rose and leaned her head against Weiss's shoulder without uncrossing her legs. The tips of her ears brushed against Weiss's, reminding her of the question she needed to ask. "Hey Ruby?" Weiss started.

"Yeah?"

"What type of Faunus are you anyways?"

Ruby sat back up, shooting Weiss a glare. "What do you mean, what type?"

Now what could Ruby mean by that? Weiss had thought it a straight forward question, but apparently there was more to this than she had thought. "I mean, I've never seen ears quite like yours before. They remind me of a dogs, but there's something off about them."

Ruby's face softened once again, and reclaimed her spot on Weiss's shoulder. "Oh, that. Yeah, and you probably won't see another like them any time soon. I'm a wolf Faunus. We're not too common, guess we're kind of an endangered species. Some small packs run outside the kingdoms, but not many, and most that are on their own don't survive too long."

Well, that explained the wolf speech that Ozpin had given Weiss at the start of the year. "So, what, does that make Team RWBY your wolf pack?" Weiss said with a chuckle.

Ruby giggled at the thought, "I suppose it does. One strange pack if you ask me."

"Well, we have a strange alpha," Weiss shot back, earning a small growl from Ruby, who all the while was nuzzling closer to Weiss. The two of them sat beneath the tree for quite some time, revealing in each other's presence, not needing to say a word.

Weiss eventually broke the peace. "Ruby, just what are we going to do about this?"

"What do you mean Weiss?

"This, us, we. What are we going to do? You're my partner and the team leader. Won't it change things if we're suddenly together?"

"Why should it? We already do almost everything together, now we'll just do it as a couple. We can take it slow if you want, and see what works out best for us. All I know is that I want to do this with you. I don't care what other people think, or even if other people know. Why, are you afraid of what people will say?"

Weiss reached down and took Ruby's hand in her own while shaking her head. "No, that's not what I meant. I've just never been in a relationship with anyone before, so I don't know where to start. Sure, I've gone on blind dates, but they were usually set up by my father, so they never went anywhere. Honestly, I could care less if the students here know about us or not. The only ones who would care is my family, and they will find out sooner or later, no matter what we do."

"Knowing the stories of your family, they wouldn't take it well. I'd probably be best not to poke the sleeping Ursa just yet, so let's keep it within the team. The fewer people that know, the longer we can go without them butting their heads in where they don't belong."

Weiss knew Ruby was right. Her father would have a field day if he found out that she was dating a girl, and her uncle would push for the family to disown her for dating a Faunus. The longer that they could keep this from them, the better. "Well, I guess I'm fine with just telling Blake and Yang. They deserve to know the truth, especially since we will be sharing a room for the next few years."

"Don't think we'll need to tell them though," Ruby muttered, a small smile on her face.

"What do you mean by that?" Weiss was confused. How would they let them know if they didn't tell them? Just let them find out on their own?

"This is what I mean," Ruby said as she sat back up. Weiss immediately missed her warmth, but fought not to let her disappointment show. "You can come out now!" Ruby shouted into the woods.

"Every time!" Weiss heard the reply, but still couldn't believe it until the blond walked out of the trees into the clearing. "What's up you two?"

"Not much, just wondering how long you have been spying on us," Weiss replied quickly, rather annoyed that their private moment had been intruded upon.

"She's been there for about 10 minutes, thinking she's sneaky," Ruby told her. "The question is, why Yang? You know you can't sneak up on me."

"Just thought that I'd check on you two. Never thought I would hear such juicy gossip." Yang said before putting her hands up to placate the couple before her. "Don't worry, I know better than to tell. I was just worried when you two never can back last night."

"I was kind of afraid for my life," Weiss muttered under her breath. Yet, despite how quietly she said this, Ruby's hearing was nothing to be joked about. Ruby got to her feet and turned a searing glare on Yang.

"What did you do Yang?" Ruby asked with a razor edge to her voice.

"Nothing serious, do you see a scratch on her?" Yang defended herself, holding Ruby's gaze.

"Probably wasn't for lack of trying. Please, in the future, refrain from trying to kill my girlfriend!" Ruby scolded Yang. Yet even as she spoke a small smile broke on her face. Just the word girlfriend had left a sweet taste on her tongue. "I'm not a puppy Yang, I'll be fine."

Not even phased, Yang shrugged, "I know, I know. I just can't help it. Gotta look out for my little sis. Instincts, you know?"

"Yeah, sure, instincts," Ruby just shook her head. Yang was never going to change, so why bother. "By the way, Yang, did you and Blake talk?"

"About what, her ears or her past? Cuz I knew about the ears, learned about the past."

"Well, that's good, now you both know. I can finally stop pretending to know nothing," Ruby sighed with relief.

"About what, her or her past?"

"Yes."

Weiss and Yang looked at each other in confusion. "How?" They said in unison.

"Trade secret," Ruby said with a wink.

The clearing was silent for a moment as the two huntresses stared at their leader. Weiss shook her head and sighed, "Anyways, Yang obviously knows about us now. Now we just need to find Blake and tell her..."

"No need," Ruby cut Weiss off, before calling out "You can come out too, Blake!"

There was no response. Weiss and Yang stood still for a short while, expecting their local ninja to emerge from somewhere. When nothing happened, the two of them began to look around, wondering if Ruby could have been mistaken. But never once did Ruby shift her gaze, staring straight into the tree line she had just shouted at. Then, as if reluctantly, the shadows gave way to reveal Blake's slender form.

"How did you know?" Blake whispered, barely audible.

"How did I know what?"

"Let's start with how you knew where I was."

"I have my ways," Ruby said with a smirk.

"I'm serious Ruby. I was silent the entire way, and I'm downwind of you. How. Did. You. Know?" Blake punctuated her final sentence, putting violent emphasis on each word. The air around the two Faunus grew heavy with tension as Blake stared are Ruby.

"Will 'I'm just that good' cover it?"

"No, it won't. Ruby, I want you to tell me something, and I want an answer now. What path do you follow?"

Ruby's smile instantly fell off her face, finding itself replaced with clenched teeth. "I can't believe you're asking that question Blake. I thought you would know better. How could you think I'm such a beast?"

The sudden anger in Ruby's voice surprised Weiss and Yang. All eyes were glued on Ruby, surprised her sudden outburst.

"Ruby, answer the question." Blake demanded, unmoved by Ruby's change in demeanor.

"My mother was killed by the monsters, Blake. Those beasts that trade away their reason, their humanity, for sharper instincts, are the one of the few things I hate in this world. So to answer your question, I will never be one of those monsters."

"Then how, Ruby? The only ones I've seen with abilities like yours are the beasts of the White Fang. So explain it to me Ruby, because I see no other way."

Ruby was silent for a moment, then turned away from her team. Blake's eyes showed pain as she feared the worst, until Ruby finally spoke. "If you're asking me this, then I assume that you also hate those monsters that surrender themselves to their animals inside?"

"Of course I do. I despise those irredeemable beasts. They are the reason humans hate the Faunus, and they are the reason that equality may never be achieved. Now stop stalling and tell me what's happening here Ruby."

Ruby went silent once again, before facing Blake once again. "I found a third way."

"A what?" Blake said incredulously.

"There is a third way for a Faunus to live, completely different from the other two. It's an ancient method I learned from old writings. It's a kind of middle ground, where neither the beast nor the human dominates."

"Ruby, that's not possible. Anyone who gets in touch with their beast becomes one. That all that's ever been known."

"That's because they do it wrong, Blake. They only touch their beast with violence, through fighting. If you want inner peace, you also have to find peace in the world. That's why I come out here each day to meditate. That's why I can do these things that you think amazing."

"But… How…I'm sorry, I just don't understand. Just what are you doing? How can getting in touch with the beast not overrun your mind? It just can't be done Ruby!"

"Ok, I've been in the dark long enough!" Weiss finally shouted. "What are you two talking about? The beast? Monsters? What do you mean by all this?"

"Gotta agree with the Ice Queen here," Yang put in. "Just what are you two talking about?"

Ruby and Blake looked at each other, seeming to question who would talk first. Blake took the lead. "Among the Faunus, there are two beliefs. One is that we should embrace the human side of ourselves, suppressing the animal that exists inside us. That animal is whatever animal we share characteristics with. My other half is a cat, hence the ears and the eyes. It governs my instincts and amplifies my fighting skills if I let it. But I don't. The problem is that if you let the beast take over, you slowly become more and more like an animal, losing rational thought in the process. That's the other way. You gain great fighting skill, but you become a beast of instinct, no longer able to live as a member of society, or even function as a person. Unfortunately, those who follow this belief are the ones who cause the problems for the world, blemishing the way people see the Faunus."

"And it's these beasts that work for the White Fang," Ruby put in, nodding at what Blake had said. "That's why Blake is reacting to my method like she is. She doesn't want to be involved with more of those creatures. Blake, I understand your fear, but understand that I wouldn't do this if I risked becoming one of those… things. What I do doesn't put one over the other, but brings them together."

"And how can you be so sure of that?! How can you know that the beast in you won't overpower the human?! And on top of that, how did you know I was part of the White Fang? I don't remember telling you!"

Ruby let a sly smile cross her face. "I'm the team leader, so it's my job to know my teammates. Don't worry," Ruby cut in as Blake was about to argue, "It's not easy to find, I'm just more resourceful than most students. Your secret is safe."

As much as Blake wanted to know what Ruby meant, there was a more pressing issue right now. "That still doesn't explain how you know the beast won't take over!"

Ruby gestured to the length of her body before saying, "I'm still here. I'm not one of those monsters."

"But how do you know that won't change?! How do you know that one day the beast won't force its way into power?!"

"I've been doing this for 8 years Blake. 8 years. If I was going to lose it, it would have been long ago. And you know what else? I've almost made it. I am days away from achieving my goal. And you know what I'm going to do when I reach it? I'm going to show people what the world can be. A place of true peace, a mix of beast and man, rational, yet in touch with nature. Can you imagine it Blake? Finally, we won't be second class citizens. We could be equals."

Blake was clearly wavering, but she wasn't ready to give ground. "I don't trust it Ruby, it's untested. You said you learned it from some old books? So why don't people practice it today? Why is this the first I've heard of it?" Her voice stayed steady throughout her questioning, but her eyes shone with a new light. Perhaps there was hope for equality yet.

"It was a rare practice, even among ancient Faunus. Apparently, only one sect of Faunus ever practiced it. And you know what? The books talked about this sect's warrior monks. They fought only when necessary, always striving for peace before violence. But if it came to violence, there was no greater warrior. I've only ever found two books on the subject, and both were so worn down that only parts could be understood. But a few key points were repeated and stood out in both books. Peace. Harmony. Balance."

"I just don't understand how you can be so sure about this. I've never heard of anyone do something like this before," Blake's voice shook.

"So you have never heard of this before? Not once?"

"What? Of course not! I always avoided everything that I thought involved those beasts."\

"Strange," Ruby muttered under her breath before returning her attention back to Blake. "We're going to need to talk about the method later, Blake, but just know for now that I won't become one of those things."

"Just how can I be sure Ruby? How can I be so calm about a friend possible risking her life on something that hasn't been tested? How can I be calm when you could become a beast because of something I don't understand?"

"Because it's me Blake. I know how it is, being told all your life that there is only two ways, then finding a third. It is hard to grasp, hard to understand. Just know I've been doing this a long time, and I see the light at the end of the tunnel."

With that, Ruby turned and began to walk out of the clearing, six eyes following her. Just before she broke the tree line, she stopped, and turned around. "By the way, I'm going on a meet with my Uncle Qrow tomorrow in Atlas. I've already talked to Ozpin, and I will only be gone for the next couple days. I'm leaving tonight. Since it's the weekend, I won't miss anything, but it's only fair that you know." Without saying anything else, Ruby walked through the tree line, still followed by three pairs of eyes.

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><p><em>In a undetermined location<em>

"We found her sir."

"Which her, Eagle? I have you hunting too many targets for such vagueness. You know that."

"The traitor, Shadow. She slipped up," Eagle confirmed.

"Is that so? Where is she? Where did she think she could run?"

"Beacon sir. It seems that she somehow got past their screening process and has become a huntress-in-training."

"How did she get there? Did that school completely ignore her past, or is it easier to get in than we imagined?"

"We don't know sir. All we know is that she was accepted despite all odds. We do believe, however, that the Reaper was involved."

"Why? What does that bastard have anything to do with our young Shadow?"

"All we know is that Shadow was tracking the Reaper when we lost contact, and she had been flagged as a possible deserter just a month after starting her hunt. We believe that she caught up with the Reaper since then, and they somehow forged the documents necessary to get her into Beacon," Eagle explained.

"Well, however it happened, it's done now."

"Sir, there is one other thing."

"What would that be Eagle?"

"It appears that Shadow was placed with a team. That's how we were able to find her. Her team was flagged because one of its members was on our watch list."

"Besides Shadow?"

"Shadow isn't on that list. Her traitorous ways would serve to demoralize the troops, so she has not been addressed. The person that was flagged was Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

"You have done well Eagle, now go send for Lion. I wish to speak with him."

"Sir!" Eagle raised two fingers to her lips, brought them to her forehead, and then bowed her head. Without another word, Eagle turned and walked out of room.

"What are you thinking Shadow? Not only abandoning our noble cause, but teaming up with a Schnee? This is unforgiveable."

"You called for me sir?" A young man with golden hair walked into the dark room, where the only other distinct features that stood out was his glowing eyes and his long ears, poking out the tangled mess on his head.

"Yes Lion, I did. I have a mission for you and Bear."

"Bear, sir? She has yet to complete initiation."

"Consider this her final test. We are in dire need of more assassins after that damn Reaper eliminated out brothers."

"He didn't eliminate them, he crippled them!" Lion spat with venom. "I don't know how they did it, but such an act cannot be forgiven. To take away a part of them, it's unthinkable."

"We will repay our dear friend the Reaper in due time, Lion. We have those four promising recruits, preparing for their day to shine. But they will need you and Bear to lead them."

"Yes sir. What is the mission?"

"The traitor, Shadow, has resurfaced, and you are going to make sure it's for the last time. You are to take out her and her entire team."

"The entire team sir? How many are there, and what reason do we have to kill them all."

"There are four of them, and we do not know the secrets that Shadow has told them. It is better to silence them than risk something being leaked. Besides, we have another high priority target on her team."

"And who would that be sir?"

"Weiss Schnee."

A cruel smile grew on Lion's face. This was getting better and better.

"One final incentive, Lion. The Reaper has shown interest in both Shadow and Schnee. It's believed they helped Shadow disappear, and it's known that they have stopped multiple assassination attempts on the Schnee family."

"Then I revel in the opportunity to kill these weak fools. Anyone that sides with the Reaper deserves death."

"Good. Then go, Lion. Prepare Bear and yourself for the battle to come. You leave for Vale tonight. End their miserable existences. Grant them the Fang's Embrace."

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><p><strong>There it is, chapter 7. Hope you enjoyed it. I actually don't know how well it turned out. I think its good, but that might be the beer talking. A friend dared me to take a drink every time I made a change. I'm now 6 revisions in and 3 beers deep, so that's how that went. Let me know what you think. I'm gonna go sleep this off. Peace out.<strong>

**Why are helium, curium and barium the medical elements? Because, if you can't helium, and you can't curium, you barium.**


	8. Under the Reaper's Care

**Here we go. As of 2 minutes ago, this story broke 100 favorites, and sits at 177 followers. Blows me away breaking the 100 favorite mark, but it makes me happy to know that over 100 of you like this story enough to give it that honor. Before we get started, I just have one thing to ask. I'm liking my summery less and less. Its just bland, but summaries are not my strong suit. So if anyone has a suggestion for a better one, please, let me know. Thank all of you, and enjoy.**

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><p>"Run me through this one more time Ruby, I'm still a little confused about this," Weiss demanded as she stopped Ruby at the door.<p>

"I'm just going to meet with my Uncle Qrow. He's a teacher at Signal, but they're taking a trip up to Atlas for the weekend. I meet with him about every six months so he can teach me a new scythe technique or something. The two just happen to coincide. It's no big deal," Ruby shrugged.

"I understand that much, what I don't understand is why you have to go to Atlas. Couldn't you just wait for him to come back before going off to do whatever it is you're doing? It seems a bit over the top."

"It's part of the training. As a huntress, I need to know something about each of the kingdoms, so I've made sure to visit each one a few times. It's just Atlas's turn again."

"Really? That's it? You're going to meet your uncle in the artic wasteland that is Mantle because you want to learn more about its kingdom?"

"Yeah, that's about it," Ruby chirped, her smile still shining.

Another sigh escaped Weiss's lips. She'd been doing that a lot lately. "I guess I can't stop you. Just keep an eye out there. My family is from Mantle, and you know how they feel about Faunus," Worry laced Weiss's voice, the knowledge of what her family was capable of haunting her.

"Weiss, you don't need to worry. I'll be fine on my own. I always was before," Ruby's smile never wavered, but there was something in her voice, something that Weiss didn't miss.

"But you're not alone Ruby. You have Yang, and Blake, and JNPR. You have me. We'll all be worried about you till you come back."

Ruby put her hands on Weiss's shoulders, squaring her up so she could look her in the eye. "Weiss, I'm going to be OK. My uncle Qrow is one of the most renowned hunters in all of Remnant. And even if he wasn't, I've been to Mantle before. I've seen what lurks in those shadows. It's nothing new. I'll be fine."

Rather than push the subject, Weiss did the best she could to smile back. "I'm sure you will be, Ruby, but I still worry. I can't be there to check on you or make sure you don't walk into some sort of cookie based trap again."

"Ok, that was one time, and I knew you were the one who set it," Ruby stepped back, a small pout on her face.

"So you claim. But there was no other way to get you to sit still long enough to study. But we're off topic. Ruby, just be careful. Mantle isn't a forgiving place. Land or people."

"I know Weiss. Like I said, it's not my first trip there. I'll be careful. I'm just gonna meet with my uncle, learn whatever he has to teach me, and head right back."

"Just in case, I want you to take this," Weiss held out a miniature scroll with the Schnee family emblem embedded on the case, a lone W placed in the center. "If anything happens, if anyone gives you trouble, show this to them. This means I back you, and anything done to you is a personal attack on me. It's not much, but it's all I can do without being there."

Ruby didn't say anything at first, staring at the small device in her hands. Weiss began to worry after a few moments, but before she could ask what was wrong, she was cut off with a kiss. Arms wrapped around Weiss's neck, pulling her close against the red figure. Yet as quick as it had started, Ruby pulled away, leaving Weiss wanting more. As if to tease her, Ruby pressed their foreheads together, staring into her eyes, lips mere inches away.

"I'll be fine Weiss. But thank you. Even if I don't need it, I'll be sure to treasure this. After all, it's my first gift from you."

Weiss's cheeks began to match Ruby's cape from her girlfriend's sudden proclamations. "I, uhhhh…" Weiss stuttered, failing to find the right words to say.

"Don't worry Weiss, I'll be back soon enough," Ruby smiled before giving Weiss another peck. "I'll be expecting more when I get back." Ruby unwrapped herself from around Weiss and made her way down the hall, giggling slightly at the image of her partner blushing behind her.

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><p>Blake stood before a large set of double doors, questioning what she was doing there. She'd wanted to do this for quite some time, but she never had the courage before. Yet her, 'discussion', with Ruby earlier had brought out another part of her, something that she hadn't felt for quite some time. Where it was from didn't matter though, she just needed to do this before she lost this feeling. Taking a deep breath, Blake knocked on the door with as much authority as she could muster.<p>

"Come in," a voice called from beyond the door.

Blake let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding and push the doors inward, walking into Ozpin's office.

"Ah, Ms. Belladonna. What can I do for you today?" Ozpin asked, turning his chair to face her.

"It's about how you accepted me at this school, sir," Blake said as calmly as possible, fighting to keep her voice from shaking.

"Oh? And what about it? Are you not happy here?"

"That's not it sir. It's quite the opposite actually. I'm happier than I've ever been. In one short month, I've grown closer to my team than I ever have with anyone before. Even closer than my last partner, a person who I had grown up with and worked with for years."

"It's good to hear that, but then what's the issue Blake?" Ozpin's voice seemed confused, but his eyes gave told a different story.

"You know exactly what I mean. Why did you accept me to Beacon, despite my past?" Blake's voice sounded across the room, carrying a confidence that Blake wasn't feeling.

Sighing, Ozpin turned his chair around to face the window behind him. He watched as the sun slowly dipped behind the forest, and a lone airship flew across his field of vision, headed north. As if an afterthought, Ozpin tapped a button on his armrest, and slowly, the doors behind Blake closed. When they clicked shut, Ozpin spoke softly, as if he was trying to lighten the blow that was to come.

"So you do realize that we know everything. I should have figured you would, you're a very intelligent young girl. You're near at the top of your class, both physically and mentally, and given your past experiences, it would be more amazing if you hadn't known. Yes, Blake, we know about your former White Fang ties. We wouldn't be doing a job if we didn't."

"Then tell me why. If you knew the truth the entire time, why did you accept me here, despite the risk I posed? I could have been a spy, a saboteur, an assassin for Dust sake! What could your reason have possibly been for risking the lives of everyone here?!" Blake's voice slowly grew louder, her anger at Ozpin's calm explanation growing larger with each passing moment.

"I never took a risk."

"You never what?"

"I never took a risk. I never once questioned what it was that you wanted. Even if your application was…lacking, it was clear what you wanted from the video."

"And that's another thing!" Blake cried out, just short of shouting, "What the hell was on that video?"

"You mean, you were not the one to send the application to us?" Ozpin's voice sounded surprised, but with him still facing away from her, Blake couldn't read his eyes like she had before.

"No, I wasn't. Someone… close… to me found out what I wanted, and sent in the application without my prior knowledge. It wasn't until after I was accepted that I learned of what they did. I've never even seen the video."

"That sounds like them." Ozpin muttered. Ozpin suddenly turned and asked, "Would you like to see it?" Blake look at him with shocked eyes.

"Wait, does that mean you still have the video? Here? Now?"

"Yes, Ms. Belladonna, it does. I have the video file right here, as a matter of fact. Ozpin held out his hand, and in it, was a scroll, playing a video of Blake walking down a road. Blake's eyes grew even wider as she realized what this was. This was a recording from a year ago, long before Blake had entered that final apartment, temporarily ending her search for the Reaper. She had followed the Reaper for years, but for how long had the Reaper been watching Blake back? The video quality wasn't very good, and seemed to be taken from the rooftops, making Blake's face into a blur, but her walk was still distinct, her black bow still clear as day.

The video so far had been simple enough. She was walking down the street, seeming to enjoy the sunny day. Yet, as Blake walked past an alley, something caught her eye. Suddenly, the camera was two buildings over, looking down as Blake ran into the alley. In the darkness, a group of figures could be seen, standing in a circle. At the center of the circle, however, two figures huddled, quivering in fear. Two Faunus, their tails wrapped tightly around their bodies, shrank away from their tormentors, tears glistening off their face, even in the grainy video. Video Blake ran through the alley, and in a feat of athleticism, jumped into the center of the ring, her Gambol Shroud drawn in its katana form. It was clear that words were exchanged, but what was said wasn't picked up by the camera. But whatever was said clearly upset those in the ring, as one of them suddenly stepped forward, an axe raised over his head.

It was over in a flash. Blake moved with her usual precision, blocking the blow as if it was from a child, positioning herself close to the man. After using her semblance to confused the man, Blake worked her way behind him and delivered a blow to the back of his head with the handle of her blade. The man fell to the ground unconscious and his allies took a step back in fear. The two closest looked at each other, before stepping forward in unison, rising their weapons. Both carried swords, and seemed to have worked together before, as they both moved to pin Blake between them. Then, as if pre-planned, the two offenders swung their swords at the same time, one aiming high, one aiming low. Yet, just before they hit Blake, the black ninja once again dissolved. But instead of appearing behind one of the two, Blake was spinning between the two blades. With uncanny acrobatic skills, Blake landed after the blades passed by her, then spun out and kicked the legs of her assailants out from beneath them. Both landed on backs with enough force to whip their heads into the ground, knocking them out cold.

The others in the ring of torment didn't stick around long, turning and running out of the opposite end of the alley. Blake watched them run, before walking up to the two Faunus that crouched in fear. They clearly flinched back from Blake's touch, so Blake made sure to maintain as small distance from the two terrified victims. After gently coaxing them, they slowly opened up to Blake, who checked them for any wounds. Finding nothing serious, Blake took out what seemed to be a bundle of cash, and sent them on their way. Blake left in the opposite direction of the Faunus she just saved, heading in the direction of the harassers. But the camera did not move. Instead, in now focused on a cloaked figure that had walked into the frame, keeping their face away from the lens. Blake brought the device closer to her face, far more intrigued that she had been moments ago. The figure on film proceeded to turn the unconscious men over and zip ties their hands behind their back. Then, just as quick as they arrived, the cloaked figure vanished.

"Do you know who those men were, Blake?" Ozpin suddenly asked.

"What?" Blake looked up from the scroll, and then shook her head. "No, I have no idea, other than scum."

"Those three men were the leaders of a dangerous Faunus hunting ring, people who had made it onto Vale's most wanted list. So not only did you take down these ring leaders, leading to their arrest a short while later, but you seemed to have the watchful eye of the Reaper on you during all of this."

"Okay, so you have some video that makes me look good for a few moments. That could have been a onetime thing. How can you be so confident in my motives just because of one event?"

"It's not the event that impressed me, it's who was involved. You and the Reaper. Tell me, why is the Reaper allowed to work? Vigilantism is a crime still, according to every kingdom's law. So why do the law enforcement agencies allow such a person to continue to operate?"

Blake had never thought about this, but Ozpin was right. Why had the cops never stopped the Reaper? Hell, they had paid the Reaper bounties, encouraged them to keep breaking the law. "I…I don't know. Why do they?"

"Because they can't stop them. Period. They don't have the talent, the resources, nor the time to stop the Reaper from battling the underworld. But the hunters do. If we dedicated out time, we could catch any one person. The bigger the operation, the harder it gets, but a lone wolf like the Reaper should be a simple thing for skilled hunters. So why didn't we stop them?"

Blake knew better than to answer. She simply looked at Ozpin, waiting for him to finish his thought. When he finally continued, he turned and walked to the window, speaking as he looked out over the expanse of the school. "It's because the Reaper has our blessing. We allow them to battle the White Fang and the ugly underbelly of the kingdoms, because they're good at it. They take the work off the law enforcement that can't stop such well armed combatants. They maintain a peace in the kingdoms that could easily be shattered. Without them, the hunters would have much more work to do. We wouldn't have time to train new hunters like we do here. We wouldn't have time to thin Grimm populations near villages. And you know what's amazing? They do the work of an entire team by themselves. They have had more success against the White Fang in their 6 years of hidden war than most of our hunters have had in even finding them. How? I couldn't tell you. But they do it. And they took a liking to you. Despite your past with the White Fang, they trusted you enough to send in an application, even without you knowing, and asking for us to enroll you as a student. That, Blake, is why I don't believe I took a risk."

Blake stood silence for a few long moments, unsure of what to think. She hadn't known any of this, yet she had followed the Reaper for years. Why had none of this dawned on her? Why had she never thought about such possibilities? These were thoughts for later, as Blake had a couple more questions for Ozpin. "You speak like you know who the Reaper is personally. Do you?"

"Yes, but I'm not going to give that information away. You'll have to earn it from them, not me."

"One final thing. I would like to see my letter of recommendation."

"Really now? Why's that?"

"Because I believe that that letter is a major reason as to why you let me into this school. The video didn't hurt, but I think there's more than you're letting on."

A smile crept across Ozpin's face. "As I would expect from you. I do have your letter of recommendation filed away, but as a hard copy, not a digital one. I will have dig it out for you to read. It may take a few days for me to get it to you."

"That's fine, I'm in no rush. But while I'm here, who wrote it?"

A small smile peaked at the corner of Ozpin's lips, as if he had been waiting for Blake to ask that question. "The letter was written by an old friend of mine, someone who I went to this very school with. They happen to be a teacher at Signal, but he used to teach here. You may know him as Yang and Ruby's uncle. In fact, I believe that young Ms. Rose has just gone to meet with him for the weekend. His name is Qrow."

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><p>Snow gentle spiraled downward as a chilling breeze pushed it towards its final resting place. The forest of evergreens below caught a number of flakes, collecting them on their branches, as if showing off how much they can hold. The forest was silent, excusing the occasional groan of the trees and the soft crunch of snow under boots as a lone party trudged down a narrow path.<p>

Little was said as the group traversed the woods. Most were cold, tired, and wanting to sleep next to the fire, never to wake up. They walked in a bunch, a bundle of black cloaks, surrounding a singular figure in white. While all those around her shivered, the central figure was unfazed by the cold. Rather, she seemed to thrive in it, drawing strength from the biting chill.

One black figure adjusted their position until they found themselves right next to their white counterpart, who glanced over briefly before returning her eyes to the path. "I must insist that you wear a cloak ma'am. If not for the cold, then to not stand out so much to outside threats. You never know who could be waiting for you out there."

"I know exactly whose waiting for me out there, Violet. This is Mantle, my homeland. Besides, it's no secret that I'm not the most popular person right now. My husband is mad that I'm holding him back, and his enemies are mad that I don't hold him back more. We just need to get to the cabin, and we'll be fine."

"The sun set a while ago, so we are in prime position for an ambush right now. I'll feel much better when we make it to the cabin. But until then, please ma'am, wear…"

A shot rang out, and the woman in black was flung backwards, a fountain of blood spraying from her throat. A gurgle could be heard as she fell, but by the time she landed, she was silent. When she hit the compact snow, gunfire exploded all around them, slicing through the ranks of the black cloaks. One of cloaks caught onto what was happening, and tackled his charge to the ground.

"Stay down ma'am!" The cloak shouted before turning to face their enemy. Only that chance never came. Before he even found a target, a bullet found its place between his eyes. The man fell to his knees, before toppling on his side, not to rise again. The white woman lay on the ground, staring in the direction the shot had echoed from. A solitary figure stepped into the failing moonlight, light glinting off the rifle held across their chest. Their lips held a cruel smile, just beneath a white mask, coving their eyes and nose.

"The White Fang. Figures," the victim panted. "Can't get to my husband, so you come after me?"

"We need to get our point across somehow. Nothing personal, you just chose the wrong man." The assailant rose the rifle and took aim. "Don't worry, I'll make this quick."

"So will I."

The craggily voice came from right behind the gunman, causing him to whirl about in surprise. Yet before he faced the unexpected guest, a blow struck him under the jaw, launching him a few feet in the air, before he landed on his back, sinking into a snow drift beneath the trees. He did not move, but small wisps of steam escaped his lips, proving he at least survived the strike. The woman had watched the flight of the man, but when she looked to see who her savior was, she saw there was no one there.

Another scream pierced the trees, and a woman wearing another White Fang mask flew across the path, before smacking into a tree and falling to the ground. Two figures burst onto the path, wildly searching opposing tree lines for their assailant. Silently, a decision was made, and both turned their guns on their original target, hoping to finish their original mission before they could be stopped. Muzzles flared, and the woman closed her eyes, awaiting the impact. A force hit her, carrying her a distance. But something was wrong. The shots should have blown her back, yet she had flown towards the gunfire. When she reopened her eyes, she found herself in the arms of a cloaked figure as opposed to bleeding out in the snow. While she much preferred this solution, she still failed to understand how she had ended up here. Without saying a word, the figure set her back down, and preformed an about face. The woman looked behind them and suppressed a gasped. The gunman who had been facing her earlier now stood with their backs to them, looking about in confusion, wondering where their target had disappeared to.

Her savior walked calmly up to the two would be assassins, who had finally grasped what had happened. But before they turned their search all the way around, the cloaked figure was upon them, striking out with deadly force. One was struck at the base of the spine, causing them to arch their back and spread their arms. The other was beneath the arm, rising them off the ground and forcing them to drop their gun. Both landed a distance away from where they had started, the snow underfoot silencing their fall and cushioned them from farther damage. What was strange, though, was that they did not move again, apparently knocked out from the blows. The woman couldn't understand how that happened. Sure, they had been struck hard enough to fly through the air a good distance, but that didn't change the fact that they should be conscious. A strike under the arm wouldn't cause that much damage.

The cloaked savior didn't take time to look over his handiwork. Without missing a beat, they stepped up to each of the fallen assassins, and zip-tied their feet together and hands behind their back. They went about their work silently, never once looking at the woman they had just saved. When they were done, they placed the attackers back to back, and proceeded to zip-tie the makeshift handcuffs together. With the attackers bound together, the cloaked savior walked to each once, placing a hand upon their head. When they pulled away, the unconscious attackers opened their eyes, their auras flaring up to counter the cold of the environment.

When they were finished, the woman watched as her savior turned their back on the captives and walked back to where she lay. Without saying a word, the figure scooped up the woman and continued down the path, carrying her with an ease.

"How did you do that? You knocked them out without striking vital spots, then woke them up with a touch." The cloaked figure didn't answer, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

"Why did you save me?" The woman asked as her attackers faded out of view. She wouldn't look at where her savior's face would be. The dark of the night and their raised cowl hid their face in perfect darkness, and it seemed pointless gazing into such a place.

"Why wouldn't I?" Her savior questioned, voice still disguised.

"You have nothing to gain from this. You're saving the wife of a man who does nothing but anger the White Fang, does nothing to help the Faunus, and in general makes the condition of the world worse. If you had let me die, maybe it would have appeased the White Fang for long enough that real steps toward equality could be made. Alive, I bring nothing important to the table but my name."

"You bring much more to the table then that, Alba Schnee. You are the singular force that prevents your husband from making matters much worse. Whether or not he likes it, he listens to your counsel, considers everything you have to say. He may be a cruel man, but he is not a completely unreasonable one. If the world were to lose you, it would fall into a state of decay unlike any before it. The White Fang wouldn't be appeased. They would rally around it, get more violent, cockier. Perhaps they would even try to start another revolution. Just being alive, you prevent that, so don't say you are unimportant."

Alba fell silent for a moment, unsure of how to process what she had just heard. Did the world really need her in such a way? Yet before she could speak, her savior continued, "On top of that, you have two daughters who would be devastated at your loss. Granted, one may be more estranged than the other, but both still care for you, of that, I'm certain."

"What do you know of my daughters?" Alba's voice was as a cold as the weather. "I'm a deplorable mother who couldn't be there for either of them. One got sent off to a boarding school while the other was shut in the manor. They haven't even met face to face, and that is my failing. I'm sure they hate me with an undying passion."

"That's where you're wrong. Despite your extended absences, you play a large part of their lives. You showed them love where few others have. Even in your absence, you still brought your children with their best interests at heart. You showed concern for their wellbeing while you husband showed concern for profit."

"And just how do you know this? What have you done to my daughters?"

"I've done nothing to them. I just happen to have an inside source. Winter is coming up on graduation, but she is well prepared, for the tests and beyond. She will make a fine politician, fighting for the beliefs you instilled in her. There is a good chance that she will get a position on the Council very soon. Your younger daughter, Weiss, will grow to be a wonderful huntress. Her team will care for her, look out for her, and be there for her. I've been watching them."

"And why is that? Do you hope to use my daughters for your gain? What is your goal?"

"Relax, Mrs. Schnee, I'm no threat to you daughters. I stopped a threat to Winter before it could manifest, that's why I know of her. Weiss is a little trickier. She happens to be on the team of… some important people."

The two continued in silence for quite some time, Alba being carried the entire way. As they walked, the snow continued to fall around them, slowly piling up among the trees. Finally, they came across a small cabin, standing alone among the trees, no smoke coming from the chimney, no lights to be seen. Yet the cloaked figure walked right up to the door, finally releasing their charge.

"So you even know that this is my cabin," Schnee commented, unsurprised.

"There is very little I don't know. By the way, there is also a White Fang base of operations about 200 miles north of here. Still trying to figure out how to take that down though, so I suggest you leave here after tonight and go back into the safety of your company's spotlight."

The cloaked figure turned to leave, but a hand grasping out stopped them. "Please don't go. Now I'm all alone, and what if they come back?"

"You won't see them again." The figure said with of their head. "I've already had someone pick them up and drop them off at a police station. But I will stay. You're safety is still a priority."

The two turned and entered the large, single room cabin, closing the door to the dark world behind them. In minutes, there was a fire roaring in the stone fireplace, heating the room to a comfortable temperature. The two sat on the floor before the fire, ignoring the la-z-boys and couches around them. Yet despite the light cast by the fire, Alba couldn't make out any details of her savior. She couldn't even tell the color of the cloak they dawned.

"I never thought that they would attack me here," Alba said, shattering the silence, arms wrapped around her knees. "This was supposed to be my sanctuary. My place to leave the rigors of the company behind. My safe house. Now my bodyguard entourage lays dead and I'm spending my last night here."

"This won't keep happening for long if I can help it," the still cloaked figure said, not facing Alba. "The White Fang has had their way for far too long, and their time of reckoning will soon come."

"You're the one they know as the Reaper, correct?" Schnee asked. Though it wasn't really a question. It was a statement, a confirmation. "Why do you fight them by yourself? Why not let the law enforcement handle some of the load?"

"Because I do that, they die. This is the only way I can ensure that no one else gets hurt because of me."

"Still, that's no small load. And what if they go after the ones close to you? You said there were some on daughter's team?"

Alba could have sword she heard a chuckle come from the cloaked figure, but she couldn't tell if that's what it was or if the voice disguiser wasn't simply buzzing. "Don't worry about them. You already know your daughter is an exceptional fighter. She alone could take on most anything the White Fang threw at them. As a team, they won't be touched."

"How can you be so sure about that? No matter how talented they are, they are barely out of their teens. They're still in training. The White Fang might just be too much to handle."

"Have faith. They are at Beacon, the top combat school in Remnant. They didn't get in there by luck. They'll be fine. Right now, I would be more concerned about hiring bodyguards that actually know how to activate aura, so they won't go down on the first blow."

Mrs. Schnee found no words to reply to that. The Reaper was right. Weiss was surrounded by the best and the brightest the world had to offer. She would have to trust her to be okay. Now, she had to make sure to make it to the next day.

"How about this then. I hire you. You clearly know what you're doing against them, so who better to protect me than the one fighting to bring them down?"

"A good idea, but I refuse. As much as I would like to personally see to your protection, there is simply too much to do before I stop the White Fang."

"Then at least grant me this. Who are you? You are someone that I feel will soon be integral in my daughter's life. I can tell that you care for her. How or why, I don't know. Just call it a mother's intuition. So tell me. Who are you?"

This time, Alba definitely heard the laugh. "And what is so funny about that?"

"You're asking the hooded vigilante to simply give away their identity on mother's intuition. This sounds like something straight out of a comic book."

Alba blushed slightly as she realized that they were right. It had been absurd to assume that this person would just go and reveal the identity they fought so hard to protect. But then she heard the Reaper laugh again.

"You're not wrong though, I suppose. You do have the right to know, considering what you've been through, and what your daughter will probably go through. Just know this. This knowledge could put you and everyone else in grave danger. I just need you to promise not to tell anyone. Ever."

"I want to know just who saved my life, who will be making sure I make it through the night, and just who will be the one watching my daughter. When the media asks, I'll simply tell them that I fell unconscious after you dispatched those assassins. This won't be the first time I've had to lie to the media."

"Not just the media, you will tell no one until I say otherwise. I've seen the character you've instilled into your daughter, despite the distance. You both carry yourselves with that easy confidence of someone who will not be toyed with. That's why I will trust you with this. Besides, with this, you can help me defeat the White Fang. Resources can be hard to come by."

"Of course. I have no problem helping you bring those monsters down. Simply let me know, and I will do all I can to help."

"Very well. Take this," the Reaper slid a singular scroll across the ground, ending at Alba's feet. She bent down and picked the devise of the ground. "That's a burn scroll. Can't be traced. I'll use that to contact you. Don't call me unless the White Fang are pounding down your door."

"Understood," Schnee replied, tucking the small device in her back pocket. She looked up when she heard a sigh, and watched as the Reaper slowly reached up, and removed their cowl.

* * *

><p><strong>I think that's a good place go call it good. I might be a bit slow on the next chapter though. I generally take a day off, write a day, and review for a day or two. But now, because I have to turn in a lab notebook (that I have yet to start) Friday for my entire lab grade, I'm gonna give that priority. Hence the longest chapter yet. You should get a new chapter by Monday at the latest, and that's if I just keep revising it. Hell, I might write and publish it all on Saturday. It's just wait and see<strong>**. And like I said earlier, if anyone has any suggestions about the summary, just let me know. So until next time, Peace out.**

**What is the show cesium and iodine love watching together? CSI. (ok, this is literally the last one I know of. Might be the end of chem jokes unless someone gives me a good one.(I know some of you are praying for that))**


	9. Unwanted Guest

**I'm baaaaack. Yeah, I know, it's only been a week, but it felt longer. I'm sorry this took longer than I thought, but hey, better late than never, right? Since the last time I posted, this story has gone up to 204 followers. Big deal for me here, because that put me in the top 25 for most followed stories in the M section. If i wasn't in class when I checked, I would have done a happy dance. Breaking the 200 follower mark is something I'm overjoyed about, and I'm even happier about breaking the 25 mark. Thanks to all of you for all of this. I wouldn't be here without you.**

**On a different note, last time I talked about changing the summary. I expected a few people to suggest changes, but what I got instead was an overwhelming support for the current one. So it will stay as is. Now, without further adieu, the next chapter. Enjoy.  
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**UPDATE: In my infinite wisdom, I forgot to replace my personal separators with the break lines. Should be good now.**

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><p>Alba Schnee gazed out the window as the sun peaked over the evergreens surrounding her cabin. The night had been long and sleepless, but without fear. After all, she had the Reaper watching over her.<p>

This was not a night she would soon forget. Alba had sat mesmerized as the Reaper told the story of their life, the pain they had felt, and why they did what they did. When someone had a past like theirs, it was impossible to keep it from changing them. No one deserved to go through what they had. Yet there they were, protecting the world that what wronged them. Alone, they faced off with the White Fang, fighting a shadow war of global proportions. They held back the true fury of the White Fang, protecting the innocents from their wrath. Now, the Reaper was protecting Alba, for both her sake, and her daughters'.

And she could never tell anyone about it. The knowledge she now possessed placed her in so many different crosshairs that bullets would collide. The general people, the White Fang, her own company, all of them would demand answers if she even mentioned speaking with the Reaper, let alone knowing who they were. The silent protector had good reasons for their secrecy. If the world knew just how many dark secrets the Reaper knew, even the ones they fought to protect could turn on them without a second though. Alba knew from experience that her husband would personally want to put a bullet in the Reaper's head if he ever found out how many company secrets that they knew. Alba hadn't even known about the dust quarry in Mistral, yet apparently the Reaper had stopped a series of White Fang attacks on the facility. And she probably never would have known about the Faunus slaves that had been freed in the process. Alba apparently needed to have another talk about basic rights with her husband when she got back to the company headquarters.

She sighed as she prepared for the hell to come. The media would have a field day with the very idea of the story. 'Alba Schnee rescued by Reaper, possible connection between Schnee Dust and Reaper?' If only they could know the truth. If only Alba could openly support what the Reaper did. Just before they had left, the Reaper had confirmed the cover story 5 times over. She was attacked by the White Fang. She had been knocked out, and when she woke up, she was in her cabin with the Reaper. The Reaper hadn't said anything, just leaving when they saw that she was awake. The media may not like it, but that's all that she was going to give them. It was the only way that she could start to repay her hooded guardian.

Once more she looked at the tracks that lead away from the cabin, disappearing into the woods that surrounded them. The sound of an airship started to cut through the air, ending her last peaceful moments. Another sigh escaped her lips as she steeled herself for what was to come. Everyone was going to demand answers, but she couldn't give them. Hell, the only people she would ever consider telling this to were the ones she was protecting with silence. 'Weiss, however you made such a powerful friend, I'll never know, but be careful. Even if they fight it, darkness will follow them to the ends of the earth. When the time comes, I hope your strong enough to help.'

With that thought in mind, Alba Schnee walked out the door of her cabin to the company airship, waiting to carry her back into the world's spotlight.

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><p>Ruby sat in a clearing in Forever Fall, her thoughts wandering as she picked apart the scents that swam around her. Her trip to Atlas had been simple enough. Qrow had checked her technique and found no problems, so that had been that. She would have loved to spend more time with her uncle, but he was a teacher at Signal, and it was his job to make sure his students behaved. And that didn't seem like an easy job. The entire time she had been going through techniques, Qrow had seemed mildly distracted, and more than once she heard him mumble. Ruby had heard what sounded like names quite a few times, Jade and Jordan among them. She smirked as the thought about the inseparable pair. Qrow had told her the countless story's about the trouble they caused, ranging from pranks to starting food fights. Yet despite their prankster antics, they were the top of their class, and had never been beating in conventional dueling. A couple years ago when Ruby had visited Qrow's office, those two had been there, talking to Qrow about some grade.<p>

In seconds, Ruby had recognized the two from Qrow's stories and measured them up. Jade's name matched her hair, which stood out over her olive skin. She was slender, with legs that rippled with each step as she paced about the office. Clearly she was quick, but just how quick? She had black pants that stopped just below the knee, loose enough to give her free movement, but not snag on anything inconvenient. She wore a green flannel over her black shirt, its sleeves rolled just over her elbows. Simple, yet effective. The shoulders were large enough to allow free rotation, and the elbow would remain unaffected. At her hips sat two blades. One long sword, one short, both clearly sharpened to the point that a slight brush could cause a serious injury if one wasn't careful. What Ruby instantly noticed about these weapons was their ranged function. While most would have missed it, Ruby saw the small grooves where the blades would collapse, and a slot where the shorter of the two could slip into, forming what looked like an SMG. 'Clever,' Ruby thought, 'Two blades, one gun. Haven't seen that before.' What Ruby hadn't expected from this girl was her eyes. The blood red eyes shone with frustration, clearly angry about whatever they were talking to Qrow about.

Jordan, on the other hand, sat calmly before Ruby's Uncle, glancing up briefly at Ruby before returning his eyes to Qrow. He had the emerald eyes that Ruby had expected on Jade, yet they shone with the same frustration. His wild hair blazed red, looking like a flame over the logs thanks to his brown t-shirt. His arms were certainly large enough to be logs. His hands were wrapped in cloth, clearly having been used in the past. His weapons were laid in his lap, reflecting light in Ruby's eyes. 'Dust knuckles, must be a brawler like Yang. That explains his build. I wonder what their semblances are.'

"Ruby, wasn't expecting you for another hour or so," Qrow said from the other side of the desk. "This is Jade and Jordan. I've told you about them before."

"Yes, you have. The two best fighters in your class and the top two students in the school. Can't imagine why they're here now though."

"Because, dear Ruby, they seem to have nothing better to do. On the last history test, they both got B's. So now they've come to me to beg for additional history lessons."

"But you're the combat teacher," Ruby said, now confused.

"He's the best teacher at the school, it's as simple as that," Jade said behind Ruby, her voice barely masking the frustration she felt. "If anyone is going to teach us, I'd rather it be him."

Ruby shrugged and looked at Qrow. "She's not wrong."

"Ruby, not now," Qrow put his head in his hands, messaging his temples.

"Hey, just saying. You're the one that taught me. Can't brag about my uncle's teaching prowess?"

"Ruby, you taught yourself history. You taught yourself math. Once Summer taught you to read, you taught yourself everything else, even your damn meditations. All I taught you was combat, and honesty, you've just about mastered all I have to teach. You could probably teach them better than I could."

"Is that so?" Jordan finally spoke up, his voice much deeper than Ruby had expected. "How about it then? Will you tutor us?"

"'Fraid I can't. I'm busy with my own problems. You know, master yourself before you become the master of others and all that good stuff," Ruby started to back out, regretting coming early.

Jade stopped her at the doorway. "How about this then? A duel. Us vs. you. If you're as good as Qrow says you are, this won't be a problem. If we win you tutor us."

"That sound rather one sided so far, what if I win?"

"Let's just call it a debt. Whenever you need us, we'll be there. How about that?"

"Two future hunters in my debt? Sounds like it could be useful. Very well, I'll duel you. Handicaps?"

"What do you mean, handicaps?" Jordan argued, looking slightly insulted.

"You may be my age, but you're far less experienced. The world out there isn't pretty, and let's face it, you haven't seen what I have. So what are the conditions to make this fair?"

"Let's just leave it as a 2v1. Even to someone experienced, under tournament rules it should still be a challenge."

"If you insist. Uncle, will you be our referee?"

"Fine. We'll consider this a lesson for you two. And it will give me a chance to see Ruby fight for myself. There's a ring in the next room. Come along."

Moments later, Jade and Jordan faced Ruby in the ring, bouncing around on the balls of their feet, weapons at the ready. Ruby just faced them calmly, waiting for Qrow to start the match. To the untrained eye, such as Jade and Jordan's, she looked like she wasn't prepared at all. She hadn't even deployed her weapon. Yet Qrow knew better. These two wouldn't stand a chance. Hell, he would instantly pass them if either of them could land a blow. With a shake of his head, he rang the bell to start the match.

With speed that was at the top of her class, Jade rushed forward, swinging her blades together in a deadly sweep. But when they should have hit Ruby, the cloaked girl dissolved into a whirlwind of petals. But that wasn't possible. Jade hadn't seen her move.

"Nice speed, but it's not quite enough. Anyone else could have lost right away, but I'm afraid I'm not anyone else." The voice was right behind her, and it belonged to Ruby. 'What just happened? Did she teleport? Stop time? Turn invisible? Whatever it was, this will be harder than I thought.' She braced for the blow she knew was coming, and sure enough, she was knocked sideways with a kick. She righted herself midair, but she was still sliding closer to the edge of the ring. 'Shit, this is coming out sooner than I thought.' Her aura flared up around her, and she let it extend outwards. Particularly, downward. Just as she hit the edge of the ring, she came to a sudden stop, rooted to her spot.

"Impressive semblance, latching yourself to the surface. Must be really useful when you're running on ice," Ruby commented, not having moved since the kick.

"You have no idea."

Jade dashed forwards again, swinging her twin blades. She had to keep Ruby's attention. Whatever Ruby's semblance was, she would never beat her like this. She could move on a dime and appear anywhere, making a frontal assault almost impossible. But there was always a chance that Jordan could sneak behind her. All she had to do was keep her attention. But with every swing, Ruby just ducked or sidestepped, a grin spread across her face. How was she this good? She hadn't even taken out her weapon yet. Qrow had bragged about his niece before, a scythe wielder of his caliber at such a young age. So why wasn't she using it?

Finally Jordan made is move, appearing behind Ruby and swinging his massive fist. As he swung, flames danced from his knuckles, as dust ignited in the air. But as he swung, his fist met nothing but air, Ruby easily ducking the blind strike.

"Classic dust knuckles, I like it. Add a little something with each blow, and extending your punches indefinitely. Not common, but then again, neither is a brawler style hunter. Too bad for you that my sister is one too."

Another flurry of petals blew between Jade and Jordan as Ruby disappeared again, appearing behind Jade yet again. However, this time she was ready, and flipped back over Ruby, giving Jordan an opening to finally deliver a strike. Unfortunately for Jordan, Ruby was the one to make the first move. Jordan saw the punch coming, and braced himself for what he thought would be a series of quick blows. But only she struck Jordan's block once, sending him flying and landing on his back, sliding to the edge.

"OW!" Ruby exclaimed, shaking her fist. "A little warning would have been nice. Using your semblance to harden your body? That just hurts!"

Jade once again found herself in shock. 'How did she not break her hand? That should have been like punching a brick wall! And how had she figured out both of our semblances so quickly? This girl is not to be messed with.'

That was a nice thought, except for the fact that she was now flying through the air. While she had been standing shocked, Ruby had delivered a perfect kick to her midsection. It lifted her off the ground, keeping her from rooting herself again.

She gathered herself just in time to land on her feet just outside the ring, only to have her large friend land on top of her. As she lay with her friend of top of her, she heard Qrow chuckling off to the side.

"That lasted longer than I thought," he admitted. "In reality, I expected you both to be out after one blow, but you kept your auras up and stayed in the ring very well. Hell, you managed to make Ruby hurt her hand. I know it's not an actual class, but what the hell, you both get some extra credit."

Jordan finally rolled off Jade, groaning. "Not that it matters, we didn't even make her take out her weapon. Just what is she?"

"She, is a warrior. A survivor. And a very good friend to have."

Jordan and Jade both looked to Ruby, who was grinning ear to ear. Her sheer joy literally radiated off her. But why was she so happy? She had just beaten them like it was a joke, 2 on 1. Sure, she could feel good, but what was there to be this excited about?

"You two. Are. Amazing. He is not a quiet man, but you managed to distract me enough to get him to sneak up on me. And you, changing from offence to defense in a split second when you realized that I still was attacking, fantastic. You worked together like that without speaking, flawlessly flowing to each other's method. I love it!"

Jade wasn't ready for this excitement. This girl had just gone from a death machine to a bubbly teenage girl. But what surprised Jade the most was her own reaction. She giggled. The giggle slowly grew into chuckle, then a full on laugh. Jade clutched her sides as Ruby managed to bring her to her knees laughing. When Jade finally managed to breathe again, tears were streaked down her face, and a grin was plastered on her face.

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><p>That had been the start of a wonderful friendship. Ruby still had that favor, but she had never intended to use it. Now, whenever they got the chance, the strange trio would meet up, forming a bond that Ruby shared with few others. They had become two of the first people she had revealed her Faunus heritage too, and they had accepted her without batting an eye. Unfortunately, neither of them had gone on Qrow's trip, instead visiting Vacuo. She would just have to wait until later to see them. Until then, there was something important Ruby needed to finish.<p>

As her memories had danced around her mind, Ruby never once moved from her spot in the clearing. Something about her mediation today was different. Inside her, she could feel… something. A cyclone of emotions and instincts whirled around, colliding with each other and exploding through Ruby's senses. Each emotion swept over her as she meditated, and with each passing second, her senses exploded outward. This had happened before, but never to this extent. She had been fighting this internal battle for a while now, fearing to stop or move should something go wrong. She had already felt loss, sadness, anger, and fear, each one almost defeating her in her determined battle. But that had been early in the day, when the sun had yet to break the horizon. Now, it was high in the sky, and Ruby was experiencing more pleasant emotions. Acceptance, peace, freedom. Not exactly emotions, but feelings she had experienced none the less. But the best was still to come. Joy. Amusement. Love. She didn't know why, but she knew that these three were all that was left, and they were ready to come out. Joy and amusement made their move at the same time, almost sending Ruby into a giggling fit, and blasting the radius of Ruby's senses. From where Ruby now sat, she could barely hear the school, the chatter of students, the clashing of weapons. If she could have, Ruby would have cheered. The school was over 15 miles away, easily the farthest away she'd ever been able to hear.

But she still wasn't finished. There was one more hurdle, and she wasn't going to let her stop her. Love finally joined the fray, blasting every other feeling away and asserting itself. But it didn't flow all the way through her. It sat in her heart, and before her eyes. It gave her a feeling of belonging, of being wanted, of being safe. Images flashed before her eyes. Jade and Jordan, hugging her when they get to see her. Qrow, praising her for good work. Blake, silently smirking at something she had said. Yang, hair ablaze, standing between Ruby and some danger. Every one of their faces flashed briefly, before fading into the next. Eventually, everything began to fade to black, but the feeling remained. Slowly, the black turned to white, and Weiss appeared before her. She put her arms around Ruby's neck, sending prickles down her spine and speeding her heart up like never before. Slowly, gently, Weiss leaned in and kissed Ruby. Once their lips met, sparks flew, and Ruby felt herself start to melt. A growl came up in her throat as the beast inside approved. Her heart stopped for a moment as the human concurred.

As suddenly as it had started, it was over, and Ruby was back in the clearing, alone. Sighing, Ruby rose to her feet, glad that the ordeal was over. She smiled briefly as she finally acknowledged just how far her senses had stretched. She could hear small rodents crawling around the ruins where she had met the rest of her team. She could smell the remains of the nest she and Weiss had destroyed. Just by the way the wind blew, she knew the location of nearly every creature was for a 10 mile radius.

This wasn't that new of a feeling, she felt it every time she stopped meditating. Her senses had stretched quite a distance further than normal, but she was used to the long range experience. Ruby started to walk out of the clearing, expecting to have her range fail with each step. But no such thing happened. After she had walked a short distance, Ruby stopped, looking around her in confusion. Usually, by the time she left the clearing, every sense would have returned to normal, but now, it was stubbornly remaining. 'No, it can't be,' Ruby thought as sudden joy welled up inside her. As for a final check, Ruby searched inside herself, looking for the beast and the man, hoping one of them had the answer. But what she found wasn't two separate entities, or even one of the original two. What she found was a whole new manner of being, a wolf Faunus, seeming to glow in Ruby's chest.

A cheer escaped Ruby as she started to dance around the woods. She had done it. 8 long years of hard work and dedication had given her a gift. A new freedom. New skills. Now, there would be no more fighting. Now, there would just be her, giving the Faunus another chance.

After a few moments of dancing, Ruby froze. Despite her joy, something wasn't right. Not within her, but in the surrounding woods. Someone was here that didn't belong. Someone she recognized. Another presence entered Ruby's now expanded range, a more welcomed presence. 'Blake, what's she doing out here? And why is he here? Don't tell me...'

Without another thought, Ruby set off into the woods, hoping she could stop the problem before it even began.

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><p>Blake lay in the shared dorm room, lost in her thoughts. In one short weekend, so much had changed. Ruby had turned her world upside down with her revelations, and Blake had no idea how to react. It went against everything that Blake had been taught about repressing the beast, about hanging on to your humanity over all else. Do anything else and you would become a mindless monster. Yet there Ruby was, clearly herself, breaking every rule Blake had been taught since birth. But Ruby was in control of her beast, benefiting from it, becoming a better person from it.<p>

Maybe when Ruby got back later, Blake would ask her about it. Maybe she would give this a chance. Ruby seemed happy, she seemed productive. Maybe there was something to all this. Blake just didn't know.

Of course, there was a much more pressing matter at the moment, something else she needed to ask Ruby about. Her supposed uncle, Qrow. Who the hell was he, and why had he written a letter of recommendation for her? She had never even heard of him, yet he had backed her. Just why? Was he the Reaper? Could he be the one she had searched for all along? No, that was too easy. Why would just give himself away to her just like that? Besides, if it was him, Ozpin would have never given her the name. No, it couldn't be him. But that didn't change the fact that he had written the letter for her. It still didn't explain why.

Blake got to her feet and made for the door. Maybe a walk would clear her thoughts. Grabbing Gambol Shroud, Blake made for the door. But before she reached it, a certain fiery blond opened it, blocking the exit.

"Ah, perfect timing," Yang said with a smile that send Blake's heart pounding. "Me and Ice Queen were gonna get a workout in, wanna join?"

"Don't call her that, you know she doesn't like it. Also, Ice Queen and I. And I'm good, I got a workout in this morning."

"What, already? You got to be kitten me?"

Blake groaned. "Yang, what have we said about this?"

"You said you would stop correcting my grammar if I stopped making puns. I just saw the purr-fect opportunity." Without saying a word, Blake simply walked up to Yang and hit her with a nearby book. Yang clutched the top of her head, regretting pushing her feline friend. "Fine, fine, no more cat puns. I'll just have to figure out something else then."

"You do that. In the meantime, I'll be taking a walk on the edge of Forever Fall. I just need to get out for a bit."

"Keep an eye out for Ruby, she could be coming back soon, and I feel like she would be the one to just wander through for forest for a bit before actually coming home."

"Has your sister always been that weird? Just wandering through the Grimm infested woods?"

Yang simply shrugged at this. "Not always, no. Her mom, Summer, raised her on the edge of the woods, so she's always been comfortable with them. She just got more so when she started to live in them."

Blake walked by Yang, taking this in stride, until she realized what was actually said. But when she had turned around, all she could see was the briefest flash of yellow as Yang turned the corner at the opposite end of the hall.

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><p>"Now what did Yang mean by that?" Blake thought aloud as she walked along the edge of Forever Fall. She couldn't hear any Grimm nearby, and their stink didn't perforate the air, so she allowed her mind to wander, particularly to what Yang had let slip before disappearing around that corner. "What is it about Ruby that they aren't telling us?"<p>

Their leader was obviously strange. She was two years younger, yet she was one of the best fighters at their school, proving to be too much for even some of their seniors. Of course, Blake could probably attribute that to Ruby's unparalleled Faunus abilities. But in today's world, there were always anomalies, oddities among the populous. Hell, the entire team were oddities. An ex-White Fang spy, working with the Schnee Dust Company Heiress, and a blond whose hair caught fire, led by possibly the last wolf Faunus outside the packs outside the kingdoms. But even then, living in the woods where the Grimm ran wild, when there were the kingdoms right there to provide protection, was unheard of. But according to Yang's loose tongue, that's exactly what Ruby did.

And then there was Yang herself. Something about her had changed Blake. For better or for worse, she didn't know yet. All she knew was that every time the blond spoke, Blake stopped what she was doing and listened. Even if she was reading, she would turn all her attention on Yang. No one had ever done that before. She'd even beaten the dust out of someone from the White Fang who had dared interfere with her reading. Then there was that smile. It hadn't been there to start with, but as they spent time together, Yang had smiled more and more, something that always brightened Blake's day. But she still didn't know why. Yang had always liked her jokes and puns, and she always had some sort of grin on her face. But it hadn't been a true smile. Not like the smile that had just sent Blake's heart racing.

A branch snapping behind her dragged Blake out of her trance. Blake whirled around, reaching for her blades as she turned. 'How did someone sneak up on me? I may have been engrossed, but not so much that they should have gotten that close.' But where she stared, nothing stirred. Only the trees moved in the gentle breeze, leaving Blake staring into an empty treeling. But her other senses said otherwise. The treat wasn't gone, it had simply moved. Slowly, Blake turned back around, facing the one who had been sneaking up on her seconds ago. "And just who are you?"

A lone man was before her, leaning on a tree with his hands in his pockets, and shaking his head. Dirty blond hair covered his head, and a thin tail flicked behind him. All the covered his face was a single white mask. "I expected so much more out of you. You were supposed to be one of the best, yet it took you so long to figure of where I was."

"Consider yourself lucky. What does the White Fang want, sending a lion Faunus after me?" Gambol Shroud was now deployed, its barrel pointed at the head of her stalker.

"I'm not with the White Fang. I'm the White Fang's claw. Their teeth. Their fang, if you would. You know exactly what they want. They want you and what you know about the Reaper. So the better question is, what were you thinking? Did you really think that Beacon would keep you safe? No, now all you've done is make it so that we have to clean up after you. Brace yourself, Shadow, for neither you nor your team will escape the Fang's Embrace."

Anger burned in Blake's chest as she readied herself. How dare this man threaten her? Threaten her team? If he really was with the White Fang, they would have known better than to send just one man. But if he wasn't White Fang, who was he? Before she could get an answer to her questions, the man before her disappeared.

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><p><strong>So this chapter took way longer to write than I originally planned. Between working on a lab notebook for 16 hours over two days and celebrating a friend's 21st on Saturday, I wasn't in the right mind for writing. Sunday wasn't much better (guess why), so I didn't write this till Monday. Now with travelling back home for thanksgiving, I won't have a ton of time. My goal is to get a new chapter up Saturday and getting back on schedule, but my plans never seem to work out.<strong>

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Despite how long it took me to get up, I did enjoy writing it. Ruby's mediation didn't come out quite right, but I couldn't find a way to change it, so it stays. But hey, until next time, Happy Thanksgiving! Peace out!**

**Also, courtesy of bl4nk.**

**I know many chemistry jokes, I'm just afraid they won't get a good reaction. (not dead yet!)**


	10. Not So Friendly Banter

**Here we are. One month later. One month ago today I got the courage to finally post the first chapter to my story. And what a month it's been. 217 followers, 129 favorites, and one hell of a good time. I want to thank all of you for allowing this story to become what it has, and for giving me the motivation to keep writing. Here's to the future, and another month of stories. Enjoy.**

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><p>Blake didn't even blink as the masked Faunus vanished. Blade at the ready, Blake focused her other senses and scanned the area. While she searched, her mind worked double time, checking off all the possible explanations for her target's disappearance. 'Speed semblance? No, they didn't leave behind any aura residue like Ruby does. Teleportation? No, they would have come out by now. Time stop? No, same problem, and I'd already be dead. Invisibility? Maybe. It would explain why they haven't come out yet, but it doesn't explain why I can't sense them.'<p>

A painful silence settled over the clearing as Blake looked around her. A cliff face on one side, Forever Fall on the other. Blake should have known better than to get herself in this situation. Alone, in the open, and trapped on two sides. Running along the path would only expose her to attack from behind, and for no small distance. Climbing the cliffs would expose her back even worse, and the trees just led to the Grimm infested woods. No matter which way she ran, she would be at the disadvantage for quite some time. All she could do was wait for her attacker to make a move, and build off that.

She didn't have to wait long. A gentle breath whispered behind her, giving away her opponents position. Blake spun around and raised her katana over her head, blocking an overhead strike. 'How did he get so close? I know I can't see him, but is he really that quiet?' Blake kicked out, knocking her attacker back and finally getting a good look at his weapon. It was a double bladed axe, enshrouded in black casing. It gleaming in the light of the sun, reflecting Blake on the flat of its blade.

"Well done. Most people are dead by now. Only one other person has ever blocked my first strike. Perhaps you will live up to your legends," the stranger smirked beneath his mask. "Let's find out, shall we?" With a twirl, his axe shifted shape, the blades folding in and becoming the butt of a shotgun. Still smirking, he pointed his weapon straight into the air and fired once.

The blast was met with a roar that echoed off the cliff behind Blake. An Ursa burst through the tree line, charging straight at the two Faunus. The masked stranger stood between Blake and the angry Grimm, but never once did he stop smirking, let alone turn around to see what had let loose such a battle cry. Blake knew something wasn't right, that there was something she didn't know about this man. Blake's answer came soon enough as the Ursa skidded to a stop next to the man, growling as it stared at Blake. The Ursa's eyes seemed to glow brighter as it saw its prey, and the growl deepened. 'No,' Blake thought, fighting back shock. 'It can't be.'

"Go," was all Blake heard before the Ursa charged again. 'What the hell?! He's controlling the Grimm! How is that even possible?' Blake would have to find that out later, as the charging bear posed a slightly larger threat. Blake flicked Gambol Shroud into its pistol form, firing at the Grimm, hoping to divert its path. But the Ursa was determined, not once taking its eyes from its target. When it was within ten feet, Blake flipped into the air, still firing at the beast, trying to hit the vital spots. Blake came down on its back, shifting her weapon into its katana form. The Ursa jerked as it came to a sudden stop, hoping to throw its prey off its back.

Unfortunately for the beast, Blake was ready for this, and had jabbed her blade next to the beast's spine. The sudden stop only aided Blake in dragging the sword through the flesh, slicing through most of the monster in one swift motions. When it came to a complete stop, Blake pulled the blade free and flipped back, preparing herself for a counter attack. But it never came, as the Ursa collapsed, its shoulder separated from its body. Flicking her blade clean of the filth the beasts called blood, she turned back to where the stranger had been, only to find him standing there, leaning on his weapon like a cane and shaking his head.

"This is getting better and better, Shadow. I guess that were going to need more Ursa." With a chuckle and a flick of his tail, he rose his gun to the sky once more, firing off another shot.

Blake stood still, expecting more beasts to come crashing through the trees. Apparently, so was the stranger, because when nothing happened, he turned to glare into the tree line, as if threatening it to reveal some deep, dark secret. Nothing moved but the leaves in the wind, only adding to the man's anger.

"And just what is the meaning of this?" the stranger growled as he turned his glare on Blake. "I know these wood are filled with Grimm, so why is it that when I'm trying to kill you, they all up and vanish?"

"How should I know that? And more importantly, how are you doing this? Just what are you?" Blake shot back, not once lowing her blade.

"You don't need to worry about that. I guess I'll have to deal with you myself." Taking a step forward, the man started to twirl his weapon again, shifting it back into an axe. Blake quickly shifted Gambol Shroud back into a pistol, but it was too late. Before she could even take aim, he had disappeared again, leaving no trace and not making a sound.

Blake stayed rooted to her spot, closing her eyes and focusing on her hearing. It had saved her once, maybe it could do it again. The leaves danced as a breezed moved through it, making the only sound to be heard. No animals moved, not birds chirped, Blake didn't even breathe as she searched. All she needed was a hint, an idea of where her target was. A breath was all she needed. As if answering her prayer, she heard it, but she didn't like what she heard. Directly in front of her, she hear the swish of air as someone raised a weapon over their head. Blake's eyes shot open and she started to raise Gambol Shroud as quick as she could, but it wouldn't be quick enough. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched her tormentor appear before her, their axe quickly descending towards her neck. There was no escape. Blake closed her eyes again, preparing to let darkness take its hold over her.

That's when she heard what sounded like a soft purr. It seemed crazy, but time slowed down around her and two figures emerged from the darkness. One walked on all fours and the other upright, but she could tell no more as they stayed shrouded in shadow. 'No, no, no, no, no, not now. I can't go crazy now.' Blake started to panic. She had heard of this happening, but only to those beasts that let the animal rule.

"Calm yourself, child, we mean you no harm," came a gentle voice, mixing itself with the purr. Blake looked around wildly in her own mind, trying to find the source of the voice. "There is no need to search, Blake, we are right before you. We are you." Despite the sincerity of the voice, it did nothing go calm Blake down. All it did was scare her more. Was she losing herself? Was she going to become like one of those things? Had her beast overcome her humanity? How? How had this happened?

"Find peace, Blake, we will keep this brief. We know you have doubted yourself and what you could be. We know what you can be. Your alpha is prepared. They have achieved Statera. They will need their beta for what is to come. Simply open your eyes and see your future. See what you can become." Both the figures began to dissolve, fading into the black and returning Blake to her own world. Once more, Blake opened her eyes, staring at the mask of her attacker. Yet just as she expected the axe to connect to her neck, the impossible happened.

Two shots rang out of the forest, knocking both the axe and her attacker away, burying the blade in a tree and slamming its owner into another. The scent of burnt dust floated into Blake's noes, telling the story of her rescue. High velocity impact dust rounds. Only one person she knew used those, and it had been the last person she expected.

"Ruby? Is that you?" Blake asked weakly, still recovering from the shock of her near death experience.

"Yep, glad I made it in time too. Yang would kill me if I let her partner get hurt," Ruby walked into Blake's vision, giving the raven haired Faunus a wink. Crescent Rose rested over Ruby's shoulders, fully deployed and hooked around her arms. Blake simply stared, still not sure what to think. Is this what those figures had meant? "Just relax, Blake, this will be quick."

"And who, pray tell, might you be?" Blake's attacker had finally recovered from the shot. Annoyance was etched across his face, but with his eyes covered by the mask, it was impossible to a true read on how he felt.

"I'm the one who should be asking you that, especially since your attacking my teammate."

"You don't need to know who I am, you just need to know that Shadow here upset my employers, and I am simply here for compensation." The Faunus in the mask had recovered some of his composure and stood facing Ruby, a frown creasing his face.

"Well, you see, I was asking to see what to do with you, but seeing as you just referred to her as Shadow, that's all I need to really know. Lion."

If he hadn't been upset before, the intruder definitely was now. His frown deepened and he wore anger lines all across his exposed face. Even his tail had stopped swinging. After a few moments, he took a deep breath, and clearly surpassing his anger, growled out through gritted teeth, "So you know who I am, but I still don't know who you are. Please elaborate, Miss..?"

"Rose, Ruby Rose. And I'm upset that you don't remember me Lion. I knew you before you became a big, bad White Fang operative. But, then again, I guess you're better than that now."

Lion's frown deepened, but his voice smoothed out. "Ahhh, Ruby. I knew I recognized the name, but I couldn't put a face to the name. It's been a long time, Red. Now, you would like to tell me why the White Fang, with their endless network of informants, is unable to tell me who you were beyond your name?"

"Because I'm better than your informants, Lion. I know how to take care of myself and stay out of your radar. You, however, have not escaped mine. Leon Tanister. 23. Known as Agent Lion. Lived on the streets of Vacuo until 7 years ago, when he was picked up by the local White Fang. Scouted by the Red Fang last year and just recently became a full member. And in doing so, has become the scum of Remnant. I didn't need an informant for that part. I could taste your stink a mile away. So before I beat the ever living crap out of you, tell me who sent you."

"You seem to be well informed, so you should know. I am here on behalf of the White Fang. I am their claws. Their…"

"Oh no, not this again. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're their fang, and you're here to grant the Fang's Embrace. Good gods, get a new line already."

Silence seemed to echo around them, with Blake still just as lost as she had been at the start. Just how did Ruby know all of this? And just why Lion, as Ruby called him, slowly getting madder with every word Ruby said. Was it possible that everything she was saying was true? But how could that be? Blake had been a member of the White Fang, and she had never heard of this Red Fang. Could it be there were things that even Blake hadn't known about the Faunus liberation group? And, more importantly, just what had those voices in her head been talking about? Was Ruby the one she was supposed to be watching? Was she supposed to be learning something here?

"Before we start this Lion, tell me something," Ruby snapped Blake out of her trance as the brunette lifted Crescent Rose off her shoulders and spun in briefly about her head. She impaled the tip of her blade into the ground, turning the barrel of her rifle stare at Lion, as if challenging him to make a move. "I want you to tell me, have you completed initiation already?"

"What sort of question is that? Of course I was initiated. I have joined the ranks of great warriors, and ascended far beyond what weaklings like you could ever hope to achieve."

"That's all I needed to know Lion. I'll try to make this quick, for the sake of who you once were." Blake was shocked at the steel in her voice. This was not the Ruby that Blake had seen around school. This was not a care-free, life loving Ruby. The one before her sounded determined, dedicated, yet somehow, sad.

"That's what you think, you foolish girl. I've come a long way from the street rat you knew." Once again, Lion vanished, his killing intent filling the clearing.

Ruby just shook her head and pulled Crescent Rose out of the ground. In a flash of petals, Ruby also disappeared, only to reappear near the tree line. She just stood there for a moment, not moving, as if holding a pose, until a scream cut through the silence. Behind Ruby, Lion reappeared, but something was different. Still screaming, he fell to his knees, clutching at where his arm had been.

Blake was horrified never thinking Ruby would go this far. And there was the question as to how. Where Blake had completely lost where Lion had gone, Ruby had managed to find, attack, and literally disarm her opponent. Could this have been what those voices had been talking about? Speechless, Blake stared at Ruby, still wrapping her head around what just happened. Never had Blake thought Ruby would be someone able to complete such an act against another person. Grimm, easily, but another person? Blake had always assumed that Ruby would stop before maiming someone. She watched as Ruby walked over to her writhing opponent, and laid her hand against his wound. Slowly, he stopped screaming, and stopped moving all together.

Finally, Blake found her voice. "Ruby, what have you done? How could you do this to a person? It doesn't matter who he was, but you just…"

"Just what? I used my aura to keep him alive and stop the bleeding. Besides, it's better than he deserves. After what he's become, I should just let him die."

"For what, being a beast?" Blake felt fury building up inside her. "Need I remind you that we aren't that much different? We both have that part inside us. We both could be like him."

Ruby's eyes hardened even more, if that was possible. "We will never be like him Blake. If you think you just became a beast, you're in for a surprise. Look at his arm."

"Wha..?" Blake started, then stopped, as she saw the limb that lay at Ruby's feet. Dissolving into petals. Ruby's signature mark for purification. As if to cinch the deal, the gentle smell of wood smoke drifted through the air, tickling the cat Faunus's nose. "No, that can't be. He's a person…"

"I'll explain later, but now isn't the time. Tell me, where are Weiss and Yang?"

"What? No, you will explain this now. What the hell is goin…"

"BLAKE!" Ruby shouted, shocking Blake into silence. Ruby never raised her voice before, but now... "Now is not the time to argue! This man never works alone, and I don't smell a partner. Now tell me. Where. Are. Weiss. And. Yang?"

* * *

><p>"Alba Schnee was picked up from her cabin in northern Atlas yesterday, after becoming the target of the latest White Fang assassination attempt. Little is known about the attack, other than what has been shared with us by Mrs. Schnee. White Fang attackers ambushed the Schnee party as they made their way to Mrs. Schnee's personal cabin, killing all of the body guards. At this point, Mrs. Schnee claims to have lost consciousness, only to reawaken in her cabin. However, reportedly, Mrs. Schnee wasn't the only one present in the cabin. Apparently, the Reaper themselves stepped in and stopped the attempt on Mrs. Schnee's life, then carried the unconscious woman to her personal cabin. It has been confirmed that unknown footprints were observed approaching and leaving the cabin, proving that there was another party present. While this raises many questions, there are few answers. How did the Reaper know about the attempt on Mrs. Schnee's life? How did they stop such an attack by themselves without using lethal methods? How did they know about Mrs. Schnee's cabin, when our researchers couldn't find it in any official books? All of these may remain mysteries, but one thing is known for sure. The hooded vigilante is still out there, meeting the White Fang at every turn. Will they continue to fight for us? Only time will tell."<p>

"Turn that down Yang. This room may be sound proofed, but it's getting ridiculous."

"What wrong with wanting to hear every juicy detail? I just wanted to know just how much your family owes the Reaper now." Yang chuckled. The two girls sat in the common area at the end of their dorm. Yang was sprawled across the couch, watching the news tick by while Weiss sat reading a book, legs tucked up to her chest. After completing their workout, the figured their needed to wind down. Figuring they might get in another one of their infamous arguments, which they both secretly enjoyed, they chose the soundproof room to avoid disturbing the other residents. Not that it mattered, most people had gone out on the town for the weekend.

"It's an old story. I knew about this almost as soon as it happened. I was warned about it should the media start banging down our door trying to find out more about it."

"Well, I'm sorry Mrs. 'The Spotlight is No Big Deal'. I just thought it was surprising that, yet again, the Reaper saves your company."

"Ok, Yang, you know that's not what they do. Sure, more often than not, that's what makes the news, but they fight against the White Fang, not for Schnee Dust. It's just that, more often than not, those two coincide."

"I know, I know. I'm just teasing you, Ice Queen."

"I told you to stop calling me that." The two girls relaxed deeper into their respective seats, using their 'discussion' as a way to past the time. That was, until something shifted in the air, catching both their attention. However, neither commented, allowing their banter to carry on.

"You know that's not gonna happen."

"Well, how you like it if I just called you a brute?"

"You do that anyways."

"Well, I would do it more."

"I don't think that's possible."

"We'll just have to see about that."

"I don't think you can do it."

"Oh, I know I can do it."

"Just a thought. How long do you think were gonna go on like this before our guest realizes we know they're there, and are just spouting nonsense?"

"I don't know, but since you just gave it away, we're never find out, you barbarian."

"Ohhhh, looks like frosty is changing up her game. I wonder, what does our guest think about all this?"

Both girls turned their heads to the corner, not blinking as they watched the shadows begin to move. What came out of the darkness was a lone woman, shaking her head. She was dressed in all black, helping her blend into the darkness of the corner. Even her hair was black, streaming over her shoulders. Atop her head, sat two short, round ears, flicking with annoyance.

"Better than I expected, but then again, you are Weiss Schnee. You were trained to be a hunter since an early age, so any less would just be sad. And you, Yang Xiao Long. Working as a private detective did nothing to dull your senses." The stranger's voice was smooth, but Weiss couldn't place where it was from. It was almost as if it was completely devoid of an accent.

Weiss frowned, but didn't let her voice change. "So you know who we are, but who are you?"

"Who I am isn't important. What matters is who I represent. I'm …"

"You're here on behalf of the White Fang, and you're here to kill me, and now Yang since were on the same team," Weiss interrupted, rolling her eyes.

"Wha… okay, that was rude. Yes, I am. So before we start, how could you tell?"

"You snuck in, your have animal ears which you aren't even trying to hide, and I have never seen you at this school before," Weiss said in her best matter-of-fact tone.

"That, and you have the mask sticking out of your pocket," Yang added, finally sitting up on the couch.

Glancing down briefly, the girl winced and shoved the white mask deeper in her pocket. "So it is. It doesn't matter if you know who I am, I'm still going to kill you."

"Yeah, no," Weiss chuckled before grabbing Myrtenaster and plunging it into the ground. Around her and Yang, a wall of ice erupted, separating them from there would be assailant.

"Just like we practiced?" Yang sighed against Weiss, deploying Ember Celica.

"Just like we practiced," Weiss confirmed, deploying a series of glyphs before Yang. Yang chuckled, then leapt into the air, kicking of glyphs to propel herself over the wall. While Weiss couldn't see, she heard Yang's gauntlets fire as she launched into her assault. With a flick of her wrist, Weiss dispelled her wall of ice, preparing to charge forward and join the fray. But as the wall of ice fell, Weiss herself froze, seeing what she thought she never would. Yang was slumped against the wall, not moving, and blood dripping down from her face. Weiss hadn't heard a thing since Yang's battle cry, but she never expected Yang to be beaten so quickly. Her opponent now faced her, a trident in her hands.

"That was adorable, but you're gonna have to do better than that."

"What did you do to her?" Weiss growled, trying to hold back both her anger and her fear. Standing before her was someone that had managed to beat Yang, one of the best fighters Weiss had ever met. This was going to be harder than she had thought.

"Don't worry, she's fine. For now. Once I'm done with you, I'll deal with her," the Faunus girl's voice was as smooth ever, but it was laced with a cold harshness that sent a chill down Weiss's spine.

Taking a deep breath, Weiss gathered herself, and charged forward with the aid of a glyph, blade at the ready. Her speed should have been near impossible to follow, but somehow, her target simply stepped to the side, tripping Weiss like it was nothing. Weiss tumbled into a wall, barely managing to lessen her impact with another glyph. If she hadn't, Weiss might have just knocked herself out, ending this fight before it really began.

"Good catch. I was sure I was gonna have you there. Let's see if you can at least make this interesting," Weiss's attacker taunted. As soon as she finished, she dashed at Weiss, trident raised. Weiss rolled to the side, narrowly escaping the stabbing blade. Weiss could barely follow the attack, and realized just how over her head she was. This was not someone to be messed with. While the weapon was still embedded in the wall, Weiss rose her blade a dashed forward again, hoping to catch her assailant off-guard.

Her hopes were dashed as the trident pulled out of the wall easily, turning on her once again. Before Weiss could stop herself or deflect the trident, the weapon spun once, knocking Weiss's blade aside, before stabbing directly into her leg.

Weiss screamed in pain, barely able to fight her gut instinct to drop her blade and cradle her leg on the floor. Ever so slowly, her senses started to return, awaking the burning question of how this had happened. Her aura was weakened slightly from training, but not to the point that it should have been bypassed so easily. Yet there was this weapon sticking out of her thigh. Before she could figure out how it had got there, the trident was yanked out, and Weiss was kicked back, flipping head over heels into the couch that Yang had been laying in moments ago. Pain blurred Weiss's thoughts as she lean against the couch, closing her eyes as she fought back another scream. When she reopened them, her attacker was standing over her again.

"You like? This is my baby, Aurant. It's completely laced in black dust, giving it the ability to ignore auras. Let your guard down like you did, and you're gonna regret it. Now, good-bye Mrs. Schnee. No one will miss you."

The woman rose the trident over her head, ready to deliver the killing blow, when suddenly the room burst into light. The stranger looked around in surprise, but suddenly flew off to the side, slamming into the wall and slumping to the ground.

"I'm sorry, but I don't take kindly to people trying to kill my friends, even if they do tend to be a bit bitchy." Now standing in her attackers place was Yang, her golden hair ablaze as her aura crackled around her.

"Wow Yang, that was almost a perfect entrance, but then you had to speak," Weiss groaned, despite in her heart of hearts knowing she would be eternally in debt to the blond brawler.

"Shut up and be rescued like a good damsel in distress." Yang shook her head, the flames slowly dying down. "Wow, that workout hit me harder than I thought. I can hardly maintain my aura."

"Is that why you punch like such a little bitch?!" Weiss and Yang froze in their spots, not expecting to hear that voice again so soon. Its smoothness was gone, turned jagged with fury. Suddenly, the roles were reversed, with Yang flying back against the wall once again. Only this time, she hit the wall with enough force to smash in part of the wall, making her look like a fly caught in a spider web. In Weiss's dazed state, she could barely see what was happening, but watched as the black clad assailant stalked past her. While Yang's hair had been in flames, the Faunus walking past Weiss had eyes of ice, actually turning black with her ire. The eyes of a monster. Slowly, their opponent strode towards Yang, the anger rolling off them in waves. "Little girls like you should know your place. So you can take a hit. Big deal. I'll put you in so much pain that you will wish you had stayed down."

But suddenly, she stopped, looking down at her feet. A soft glowing circle emanated around her. Slowly, she turned about and looked a Weiss, who had her arm extended. "A trap glyph. Thinking that ff you can hold me in place, you might be able to beat me. Clever. But not clever enough girly. You see, I can still shoot you." As she spoke, her trident shifted forms for the first time, folding into an assault rifle. Without saying another word, she took aim and unloaded a barrage at the already weakened Weiss, pounding away at her depleted aura shield. Each impact caused a small explosion of pain, and Weiss felt several of her ribs crack under the force. A few bounced off her head, sending her mind spinning. Luckily for Weiss, it seemed that these bullets weren't laced with dust like the trident was, but it did nothing to lessen the pain. The rain of bullets was relentless, not stopping until her aura finally failed and a bullet ripped through her right shoulder. Weiss's screams filled the room, fading into the soundproofed walls.

"About time. You impress me Schnee. Holding out for as long as you have. But now it is time to end this. You won't be alone though. Your friends will follow you shortly."

The attacker lined up for the final shot, smirking as she prepared to end Weiss's life. Satisfied with her aim, she began to pull the trigger, only to be interrupted by the door slamming open. A shot echoed through the room, nicking Weiss's right ear, causing her to slam her eyes shut as ringing echoed through her head. When the ringing finally faded, she reopened her eyes, seeing a lone figure standing before her, with a red cloak billowing around them. Petals seemed to float off and fade into nothingness, fascinating Weiss as she finally tumbled into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Ruby had never been so angry in her life. At herself, at the world, at the White Fang. First, she had run all around the school searching for her teammates, only to get lucky and barely hear Weiss's scream as she runs past the dorms. Her enhanced hearing was paying off, but that wasn't her concern right now. Why she didn't check the dorms first when she hadn't found them in the gym, she didn't know, but now Ruby was seeing red. Not only had she almost been too late, but Weiss was on the ground still bleeding out, with Yang slumped against a wall, blood dripping down over her eyes. If it hadn't been for her years of meditating, Ruby would have lost it on the spot and torn this person to shreds. As it was, they were still useful, but that wouldn't stop Ruby from making them pay. Slowly, Ruby stalked forward, confusion clearly showing on her targets face.<p>

"And who are you? One of their little friends? You think that you can stop me?"

Ruby said nothing, just stalked forward, her anger building with each step.

"Wait a second, aren't you one of the ones Lion was supposed to deal with?"

Ruby's voice was low, not even trying to cover the anger she was feeling. "Lion will be joining us later, Bear. But now, we're gonna take care of some business." Without hesitating Ruby dashed the rest of the way forward, striking Bear under the chin and rocketing her towards the ceiling. Bear didn't even had time to be shocked about this girl knowing who she was before stars danced before her eyes. She struck the ceiling much like Yang struck the wall, with cracks fleeing from the impact site. Dazed, she fell back down, freefalling towards Ruby. Without a second thought, Ruby's foot shot staight up in the air, meeting with Bear's shoulder at its apex. A sickening crunch echoed through the room as the joint was completely shattered, along with what remained of Bear's aura. Bear's eyes went wide, then dark as the pain forced her into unconsciousness. She fell to the ground, and Ruby stared down at her, wanting to do so much worse than she had. Hell, every part of her being, of her instincts, screamed for her to punish this beast who dared hurt what was hers. Her teammates. Her family. The people she loved. The only thing that kept Ruby from finishing the job was the smell in the air. This one wasn't like Lion. This one still could be saved, not that they deserved it.

Ruby turned away, ignoring the dark thoughts running through her head. Silently, she strode over to where her partner lay. Careful not to brush Weiss's injuries, she slid her arms beneath her fallen ally, and gently lifted her in a bridal carry. Blood dripped down Weiss's fingers as she left the ground, splashing into a small puddle. Gently, Ruby pulled her unconscious partner's head into her shoulder, tears streaming down her face as she pressed her forehead against the platinum hair. Ruby could see where the bullet had torn through Weiss's ear, leaving a divot along the otherwise perfect arch.

Blake finally walked in, having delivered the body of her attacker to Ozpin's office. "Oh dust, Ruby, what happened here? Were we too late?"

"I was. I couldn't protect them. I failed…" Ruby's voice trailed off as she started to choke on her tears.

Seeing the state Ruby was in, Blake knew she had to snap Ruby out of it, or they might be too late. "Ruby, tears can come later, but first, we need to get these two to the infirmary. There still alive, but if we don't hustle, they might not be. You grab Weiss, I'll grab Yang."

"No, I'll get them both, I'm faster. You take that scum behind me to Ozpin. Tell him what happened, and that we need to talk." The harshness in Ruby's voice echoed her pain, but when she turned about with Weiss in her arms, her face only showed determination. Tears still glistened on her face, but she would save the crying for later. Now, her team needed her. Without saying another word, Ruby disappeared in a storm of petals as she rushed to the infirmary.

* * *

><p>Moments later, the door to the infirmary burst open, and a red cloaked girl stood their holding her white companion. She screamed for a nurse and a gurney, but neither came quick enough. Before the nurses could even reach for the handle, the door between the waiting room and the treatment center was kicked off its hinges. The nurses watched as a girl with fire in her eyes marched over to them, before muttering, "I need two gurneys, now." While most stood frozen, one rushed off, disappearing through a door, only to reappear moments later with a second nurse. Each pushed a gurney before them, stopping in front of the now blood covered girls. With great care, the one in red placed her white counterpart on the stretcher, and gently brushed the hair out of her injured companion's face before disappearing in a flash of rose petals.<p>

Confusion rippled through the nurses, as they had thought that the second stretcher was for the girl in red. Confusion shifted to shock as, just as suddenly as she had disappeared, she reappeared, carrying yet another injured young woman, this one a blond. With just as much care, the girl in red set her charge down, before turning to the nurses and pointing for them to get to work. Quickly, the girls were wheeled off, nurses already completing their preliminary analysis.

A few nurses stayed behind, hoping to ask the girl in red just what had happened. But before any of them could speak, the girl in red collapsed to the floor, her eyes still locked on the two gurneys as they made their way down the hall.

* * *

><p><strong>There is it. Chapter 10. I didn't really expect to get past chapter 5 at first, but its amazing how things change. I can look back and say I'm happy with the past month of work. I know I can do parts better, but I'm happy none the less. Once again, thank you all for sticking with it to this point, and I'll be back in a few days hopefully with the next chapter. Until then, Peace out.<strong>

**Alcohol is not a problem. It's a solution. If you say its a problem on a test, you will fail.**


	11. The Morning After

**Before we get going, I want to say sorry for taking so long. Had a very stressful week and a half, so I didn't find much time to write or edit. And honestly, its not gonna get much better over the next week and a half. So sorry in advance for that. But anyways. I wanna say thanks to all of you that follow this. 244 people, I just grin when I look at that number. Love you all, and lets get on to the story.**

* * *

><p>Blake sat silently in her empty dorm room, lost in her own thoughts. So much had happened over the last few hours. She had been attacked by a strange man. Ruby had saved her life. And almost ended the attacker's. She had been so cold about it, not even hesitating to remove the man's arm. Ruby had then gone off in search of Yang and Weiss, telling Blake to drag the man to Ozpin. Easier said than done when the man only has one arm. Blake considered bringing the other arm along, but that was hard to do after it had dissolved into petals. It took far longer than Blake would have liked, but she finally dragged the man to Ozpin's office. She had been there for seconds, briefly telling Ozpin what had happened before setting off after Ruby. But after following Ruby's scent, Blake walked into a warzone. The first thing she saw as a blacked haired bear Faunus laying on the ground, their arm contorted at a strange angle. But before Blake could check to see if she was alright, she spotted Ruby, kneeling nearby, cradling Weiss's limp body. Blood was soaked through her white clothing and dripped down her hand. If it wasn't for a subtle, rasping breath escaping from Weiss's lips, Blake would have thought her dead. Yang looked to be in better shape, but not much so. At least Blake could see the rising and falling of her chest.<p>

Blake had snapped Ruby out of her trance, but when she did, what she saw scared her even more. Ruby's eyes were cold as ice, daring someone to make a mistake. She had told Blake to drag the strange Faunus to Ozpin's office as well, then disappeared in her usual manner. Not 30 seconds had passed before Ruby reappeared by Yang's side, lifted her effortlessly, and disappeared again. When Blake finally made her way to the infirmary, she found not two, but three beds filled. Apparently, Ruby had collapsed of exhaustion after delivering Yang, but the doctors had assured Blake she would be fine by the morning. But morning was a long way away.

Blake sat in anticipation for that morning. She had seen a side of Ruby she never knew existed. A dangerous side, one that would destroy anything in the way of her goal. One that would push herself beyond her own limits, for the sake of her friends. Something that made Blake proud to call her leader.

Of course, today hadn't left her without questions. How had Ruby beaten both the attackers, when the rest of her team could barely touch them? How had Ruby known so much about that White Fang agent, when Blake had never heard of him? And what had her vision meant, when those two figures had told her that her alpha would need her? Had they meant Ruby? What was this Statera they had mentioned?

None of her questions would be answered today. Ozpin had said he would visit when the team had recovered and answer any of their questions, but who knew how long that would take. Weiss and Yang had taken a solid beating, and it looked like they wouldn't wake up anytime soon. All Blake could do was wait for morning, and pray the Ruby would fill her in on what the hell happened today.

Mind still reeling, Blake lay in her bed, waiting for the long night to end and for what the morning would bring.

* * *

><p>After a sleepless night, Blake rose with the sun. Her mind had run wild all night long, running through thousands of possible explanations to yesterday's events. Each one had been crazier than the last, ending with Ruby not being from this world. Once the sun had cleared the horizon, Blake was out the door, heading to the infirmary.<p>

Blake silently padded past the front desk of the infirmary, heading for her teammate's room. Given they were all from the same team, Weiss, Yang, and Ruby had been placed in the same room. It make Blake's life easier, as she had only one place to go. Blake slunk silently down the hall, sticking to the shadows, avoiding the nurses. Normally, she be welcome, but visiting hours were still a few hours away. Blake just couldn't wait that long. She needed to be there if they woke up. But when she walked into the room, she wasn't greeted with three sleeping forms.

Instead, on the center bed, silhouetted in the morning light, sat a meditating Ruby, legs crossed and palms upright. Her posture rose slightly as she breathed deep, opening her eyes on the exhale. Ruby flicked her ears, as if signaling to Blake. As to not wake up Yang or Weiss, Blake carefully padded over, stopping at the foot of Ruby's bed.

"Someone's up early," Ruby quietly commented, not moving from her meditative position.

"Your one to talk. Sun's barely up, and you're sitting in your bed meditating," Blake shot back, making sure to keep her voice just above a whisper.

"I assume that you want to know what happened yesterday."

"You could say that."

"Then let's talk. Just not here." Ruby sprung off her bed, looking far better than someone who was admitted to the infirmary the day before for exhaustion. Without speaking, Ruby strode to the window, opening it wide and closing her eyes as she let a soft breeze whip her in the face. Eyes still closed, Ruby put both her hands on the frame, and threw herself over the edge.

Blake rushed to the window, not believing what she had seen. Her team was placed on the third floor, but Ruby had just thrown herself out the window like it was a three foot drop. But when Blake reached the window, she looked down, only to see a pair of silver eyes staring back up. Three stories down. 'And I thought cats were supposed to always land on their feet,' Blake thought with a shake of her head, before launching herself over the edge once after her leader.

Landing softly, Blake turned to Ruby, who turned and started to walk away, signaling Blake to follow. They walked in silence for quite some time, heading towards the rising sun and enjoying the peace of the morning. When they reached the edge of campus, Ruby stopped, looking over the cliff down into the Emerald Forest. Blake stopped a short distance behind her, not sure where to start.

Fortunately for her, Ruby took the lead. "You heard the voices, didn't you?"

Time stopped as Blake's heart froze. Ruby had hit the nail on the head, but how? How could she know about that?

Ruby turned her back to the cliffs, facing Blake with a small smirk. "Don't look so shocked, Blake. I can smell it on you. Tell me, you feel any different?"

Blake stood shocked for another moment, still not sure how to respond. "No…I…I can't…Its crazy…" Blake stuttered, trying to find the words to say.

"Relax, Blake, its nothing bad. Just a sign. That you're ready."

Finally, Blake found her tongue. "What are you talking about Ruby? Ready for what? How do you know any of this? Just what the hell is going on?!"

Ruby just smiled and turned back around, looking over the forest once again. "Do you remember what we were talking about before I left?"

"Of course, how could I forget? I've been thinking about it all weekend. But that's not the issue right now. Right now, I want to know what those voices were and how the hell you knew about them!" Blake's voice stayed level the entire time, but Ruby could tell that with each word she was getting more and more frustrated.

"Trust me, Blake. This is nothing bad. Tell me, what did they say?"

Blake sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get anything out of Ruby without admitting this. "I don't know. All I know is that I saw these two figures, and they said something about my future. Well, one did, the other just kept purring. They mentioned something about Statera. And, I think they called you my alpha."

"Did they now?" Blake could have sworn Ruby had a note of pride her voice, but she moved on too quick to be sure. "Well then, it seems that you're farther along than I thought."

"What? Ruby, I swear to dust if you…" Blake asked tentatively, not sure she wanted to know.

"It means that you're ready for balance. For Statera."

"Yeah, that does me a whole lot of good Ruby," sarcasm lacing Blake's voice.

Ruby chuckled and turned to face Blake once again. "Statera is an old word. Very old. From a dead language old. But it means balance. Inner peace. And freedom. As for those things you saw, they were real. That wasn't you going crazy. They were you. Or, to be more precise, they were the parts of you that make you, well, you."

"Wha…" Blake started, but then realized that she had nothing to say. Deep down, she knew it to be true. Ruby was right. Those, things, had been her.

"And it they are showing themselves to you, and speaking to you, then wow. You are really ahead of the curve," Ruby laughed while shaking her head. Blake still had no idea what was going on, but somehow, she knew that Ruby spoke true. That something was happening inside her. And it scared her. Tears began to well in her eyes as she immediately assumed the worst.

"I'm becoming one of those things, aren't I?" Blake said in a flat voice, fighting to maintain herself.

Ruby brought her hands up and shook them furiously, as if trying to dash the idea away. "No, no, no. Just the opposite. Without even knowing it, you're achieving balance. You're the same as me."

"No, I'm not. I've seen the things you do. What you did yesterday. I'm not like that. Not even close." Blake's eyes began to water, but she refused to let a tear fall. She refused to show anymore weakness than she already had. Ruby sighed and turned to face the forest once again. She took a seat in the dew covered grass, dangling her legs over the edge.

"Blake, come here." Ruby motioned to Blake, signaling her to sit on the cliff edge with her. Blake took her place, still struggling to maintain composure. "I want you to tell me something. What's the furthest thing you hear out there?"

Now Blake was completely lost. What did her hearing have to do with anything? Turning to Ruby, she started, "Ruby, I don't…"

"Blake, don't question it. Just do it," Ruby cut in, as if knowing Blake was going to argue.

Blake turned and faced the Emerald Forest, staring out into its green expanse. Her ears twitched beneath her bow, picking up the subtle sounds of wildlife, and finally finding her limit. Point out towards the still rising sun, she said, "There's an owl settling in for the day that way, just on the edge of my hearing.

"Ah, good choice. See Blake, that's about 10 miles away. Tell me, what's the usual distance a Faunus can hear?"

Blake was stunned, not even realizing the distance. "About 5 miles. After that, it gets pretty touchy. But it's not unheard of for my hearing."

"Ehhh, yes and no. It's not unheard of for the beasts to hear that well, but that's long after they lose their humanity. So tell me Blake, how does someone like you, who holds firmly unto her humanity, gain such an ability?"

Blake fell into silence once again, not sure how to respond. It had never occurred to her before, but Ruby was right. She had never heard of anyone but the beasts have her kind of hearing. And it scared her even more. That was, until she realized something. "Ruby, how far away can you hear right now?"

"Right now? About 15 miles out," Ruby said with a shrug, acting like it wasn't a big deal.

"WHAT?!" Blake shouted, finally losing her control. "How can you hear that far out?! How is that even possible?! Is it possible?! Has anyone done that before?!"

Ruby just chuckled at Blake's outburst, knowing it would come out sooner or later. "Relax, Blake. It's just part of my training. It's why I meditate. Actually, if I was to meditate right now, I could double that range for a little bit. As to if anyone has done it before, I don't think so. Not for hundreds of years anyways."

Blake brought herself back under control, still finding this hard to believe. "What does this have to do with those things I saw? I still don't understand what's going on Ruby."

"It's like I said earlier. You're reaching Statera. Bringing your animal side and your human side together. The parts that make you, you. I'm honestly amazed that you can see them, let alone have them speak to you. It took me years before I got there."

"But how can that be Ruby? I've never meditated like you. I've never gotten in touch with my beast. Hell, I've done my best to bury it. So why is this happening?"

"Yeah, not gonna lie, that may be my fault."

Blake narrowed her eyes, turning to look at Ruby. "What do you mean, it might be your fault?"

"Well, according to the books I've read, when your seek Statera, it starts to wake up parts of yourself that you couldn't touch before. It expands your senses, increases your athleticism, and improves your survivability. But that's not all. When you seek Statera, it draws not only you to the goal, but those around you as well."

"But that means…"

"Yep, you're been searching for it without realizing it." Ruby said matter-of-factly. "Actually, I'd say that you're at where I was about half a year ago. How you got there so fast, I don't know, but here you are. That's why you can hear so far, and why you've seen your inner selves."

"A little warning would have been nice," Blake said flatly, but when Ruby looked over, she saw the corners of Blake's mouth twitch up, as she tried to suppress her smile.

"You're taking this surprisingly well for someone that wanted to shun me a few days ago for this very reason."

"Am I? I suppose you're right. Actually, I wanted to apologize for my behavior Ruby. I just couldn't believe that such a thing existed. But then again, here I am, being told that I'm just the same. And honestly? It's a relief. I honestly thought that I was losing myself, becoming one of those things. One of those beasts that attacked us yesterday." Blake said these words, but as they left her mouth, a though occurred to her. "Ruby, if were not like those monsters, but were not normal either, just what are we?"

"We're Faunus Blake, plain and simple. You'll understand more soon enough, but now, we need to get back."

"What? But… no, I'm not done yet. There's still way to many questions that you need to answer. You've barely told me enough to scratch the surface. Who were those people yesterday? What were they? How the hell did you beat them by yourself when none of us were able to touch them? And how do you know any of that? And no, telling me it's a trade secret will not cut it. They went after us and our friends, so I have a right to know everything."

"Relax Blake, you'll know all that very soon. But right now, we need to head back. Yang just woke up, and Weiss is stirring, which means Ozpin will be by soon. When he gets there, I'll answer all the questions I can."

"Wait, how do you..?"

"I can hear 15 miles away, what makes you think that I wouldn't keep an ear on our teammates in the infirmary?"

"I guess you got a point," Blake conceded as she stood up from her perch on the cliff edge. Blake hadn't been listening for it, but now that she thought about it, the sound of Yang's steady breathing had died down, replaced with a deep yawn. Blake could just picture Yang sitting up in the bed, looking around in confusion, her hair disheveled as usual. Blake cracked a smile at the image, until she caught herself. Why was she smiling at that? That was how Yang spent every morning, and it wasn't a particularly flattering image.

Ruby noticed when Blake stopped, and turned to look at her friend. "Something wrong, Blake?"

"I don't know…" Blake trailed off. That was, until a thought sprang into her mind. "Ruby, tell me, this Statera, or whatever you called it, how does it change you?"

Ruby flashed a look of confusion at Blake, but she answered, "Well, like I said, it amplifies your senses. I can smell them cooking lunch right now. It's meatloaf, by the way. It takes a bit to get used to, but it's not bad. It also improves your other physical abilities, like agility and strength. Other than that though, I've only read about it in books. I mean, come on, I just got here yesterday, you can't expect me to know everything."

"Ruby, what does it say in those books?" Blake asked, her voice leaving no room for distraction.

"Not a whole lot. Mostly they just talk about the fighting abilities and what not. A few of them mention the mate, but that's about it."

"Wait, the mate? As in, love life mate?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Apparently, the closer we get to Statera, the more aware we become of our chosen mates. Human rational colliding with beast instincts and all that."

Blake squinted are Ruby. "What do you mean, more aware?"

"You know, you notice more about them. That they make you happier. That you want to be with them."

"Oh, so like you and Weiss."

"What? Oh… I guess your right… Yeah, just like that." Ruby had that innocent smile on her face. "But as far as the changes we undergo because of Statera, that's about it. Oh, I forgot improved aura production. We do that too. Now I'm curious though. I thought you wanted nothing to do with this. Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"

"Oh, uh, you know, to, uh… know what to expect. If I do chose to carry on with this Statera thing."

Ruby's face lit up at the prospect. "Yeah, then that's about it then. It does say that we will pull those near us to Statera, but considering there aren't that many Faunus around us, that won't really be an issue."

Blake nodded in agreement, and the two continued on their way to the infirmary. But for the entire walk, Blake's mind was working overtime. She had to figure out what was happening. Why her thoughts always drifted there. Why she always found herself thinking about Yang. And just what that meant.

* * *

><p>Blake and Ruby climbed back through the window just as a nurse was about to run out the door. She hadn't been prepared for Ruby's unscheduled departure, and seeing her climb back through the window didn't do much to help her anger.<p>

"And just what do you think you're doing?! You're supposed to stay in bed!"

Ruby just shrugged at the outburst, as if she had heard it all before. "I woke up, and I wanted to go out. So I did."

But the nurse was having none of it. "You collapsed in the hallway after dragging these two here, and that's all you have to say?!"

"You know Ruby, I meant to ask you about that too. Why did you pass out like that? You seemed fine after fighting that girl."

Ruby shrugged once again. "Just overused my semblance. Between that and achieving Statera, you can imagine that I would be a little worn out."

"Fair enough."

The nurse, however, wasn't done. "And you, Ms. Belladonna. Visiting hours aren't until 10. You need to go."

"Hey, that's my partner you're talking to. She stays." All three turned to nearby the bed, where Yang sat, smirking at the scene before her.

"Ms. Xiao Long, you're awake! That's excellent news!" The nurse completely forgot her anger, overjoyed with Yang's recovery. "Now we just need Ms. Schnee to awaken, and…"

"No, you don't. It's not like I can sleep through this racket." Ruby's ears shot straight up at the sound of Weiss's voice, and dashed to her partner's side, a trail of petals floating behind her.

"Weiss! You're awake!" Ruby cheered, her voice far louder than it should be in a hospital room.

Weiss cringed at Ruby's shouts, shrinking away slightly. "Ruby, please don't. Just, whisper, please.

Ruby just smiled at her partner, before leaning forward and whispering, "Can do Weiss."

"Ow. Okay, why do I feel like I had way too much to drink? What the hell happened? Last thing I remember is some bitch attacking me and Yang."

"That's exactly what happened," Blake calmly explained. "Ruby stopped her and carried you both here."

"Well, that explains why I'm here, but not really what happened. Who the hell was that girl?"

"In due time Weiss," Ruby patted her on her good shoulder. "Not everyone's here yet." Ruby turned to the nurse, her voice becoming serious. "I need you to go get Ozpin. Tell him that we're ready."

The nurse just looked at Ruby like a misbehaving child. "I'm sorry, what? I don't think so Ms. Rose. You are patients here. We still need to do tests on your friends here. They both sustained head injuries, and we need to determine just how severe they are. You, however, will get into your bed and rest, while Ms. Belladonna here will leave and come back during the appropriate hours."

Ruby sighed, as if she was the one dealing with a child. "Weiss has a moderate concussion on top of the other injuries, and Yang has a mild one. Yang will be fine by the end of the day, as her aura has strong healing properties. Weiss will take two days, less if I use my aura to help the process. And I simply passed out from using too much aura at once when it was already weakened. Now, you will please do as I say and fetch Ozpin."

The nurse's face turned as red as Ruby's cloak. Never before had she been talked to like this by a first year student, and she didn't intend to start now. "Oh, and since when did you become such an expert on head injuries? There is no cut and dry for the head, and if you are going to assume such things, then your friends will be in danger of hurting themselves further. Besides, if Ms. Schnee had a concussion as you say, she would likely still be asleep. I can't speak for Ms. Xiao Long's healing capabilities, but I highly doubt that she will be cleared by the end of the day. And you Ms. Rose, need to get back in your bed before I strap you to it. Professor Ozpin will be here soon enough, but we will worry about that later."

Ruby camly turned and walked over to the nurse. When she was an arm's length away, she stopped, crossed her arms, and looked the nurse in her eye. "I am more than experienced enough with diagnosing and treating injuries to tell you what they has and how long it will take. I know my team quite well, and I know just what to expect from them in terms of recovery. As for myself, I have more aura in my little finger than you do in your whole body, and I've been steadily feeding these two my aura while they slept to speed up their healing processes. Now do your job and get Ozpin."

"My JOB, is to take care of…" the nurse started before Ruby brought her hand up to the woman's face, silencing her.

"Your job, is to assist huntsman and huntresses in healing and anything else they might request. As my team doesn't need your help healing any further, please do as I request and fetch the headmaster."

"NOW LISTEN UP YOU CHEEKY LITTLE…"

"Hunter Order 12-3-4-9-3-12. Now. Go. Get. Professor. Ozpin." Ruby's voice was cold, clearly having had enough with this nurse. Silence fell between the two, as they stared into each other's eyes. The nurse's eyes widened in surprise, shock evident all over her face. Ruby's, on the underhand, were frozen pools of silver. They stared at the nurse, waiting for her to make a move.

"How do you know that order?" The nurse finally whispered, as if she didn't want to believe it.

"How doesn't matter. All that matters is that I know it and I just used it. Go."

Without another word, the nurse turned and walked out the room, leaving team RWBY in an equally stunned silence.

"Ruby, what just happened?" Yang finally asked. She had seen her sister mad before, but never took it out on other people. Well, innocent people.

"Soon. All will be explained when Ozpin gets here. If that woman had just listened, he would already be here."

"I don't care about that. I mean, I've never seen you treat anyone like that. What the hell was that?"

"We have more important issues right now, and I lost my patience. I'll apologize to her later, but right now, we need to get Ozpin here to figure out our next course of action. And what to do with those two."

"Indeed we do." The voice came from the doorway, and all eyes turned to see their grey haired headmaster standing there, cup of coffee in one hand and cane in the other. "I was already on my way down when I ran into Ms. Iola. Ms. Rose, was it really necessary to get her so worked up?"

"I didn't know you were on the way here already, and she wouldn't do as I asked. I'm sorry to cause a problem, but you can imagine if I'm a little stressed right now."

"Indeed." Ozpin pulled a chair up to the base of Ruby's bed and took a seat. He placed his cane between his legs and rested his hands on the handle. "So, where shall we begin?"

Ruby jumped into her bed leaning back against the headboard. "I know Blake has questions, and I'm sure that everyone else does too. But first, where are they?"

"I had them placed in the holding cells in the basement. Separate, of course."

"Of course. Let's make sure they stay that way. And don't be fooled, he has a tricky semblance. Well, that's all I really need to know right now. Right now, we need to answer all of my team's questions."

"Of course."

The room fell silent as Ruby and Ozpin looked around. Yang's and Weiss's faces were pictures of confusion. They knew that Ruby had leadership classes with Opzin, but never expected Ruby to speak so casually. Hell, she was sprawled out on the bed, hands behind her head, acting like he wasn't even there. Blake was the only one that maintained her poker face. She was expecting a few shocks today. She couldn't let this catch her off guard.

Blake stood silent for a moment, before crossing her arms and walking over to the wall between Ruby's and Weiss's beds. She leaned against it, keeping her arms crossed. After another long moment of silence, she spoke. "Who were they?"

"Who was who?! What the fuck is going on?!" Yang finally exploded.

Weiss covered her ears at the sound, but nodded all the same. "I would like a better explanation of what happened before we get to who," Weiss said, quite a bit calmer than Yang, but her eyes told just how serious she was.

Ruby sighed, and swung off the side of the bed. She walked to the window, staring out at the sun that had finally risen above the trees, spilling light over all of campus. She spoke without turning around. "Yesterday, two assassins came to Beacon. Their targets were Blake, for her connections to the White Fang, and Weiss, for her family's business. Yang and I were just going to be casualties for them. They barely even looked into us. I fought them off, and there shouldn't be any more any time soon, but still…"

"So it was you," Weiss interrupted, voice barely above a whisper. "You were the one that I saw when that girl almost killed me. In that case, before we go on… Ruby, thank you for saving my life."

Without saying a word, Ruby turned away from the window and strode to Weiss's side, pulling her into a gentle hug. "I would do it again a hundred times over. All of you, are the most important people in my life. If I was to lose any of you…" Ruby's voice trailed off, not wanting to think about such a possibility. She slowly pulled away, and looked out over the room. "To answer Blake's question as to who, well, that's gonna take a little longer."

Ruby pulled a chair next to Ozpin and took a seat, resting her elbows on her knees. She scanned the room, making sure she had everyone's attention before speaking again. "Their codenames are Lion and Bear. They are two assassins that work for the White Fang, indirectly. They aren't actually members of the White Fang, but they were at one time. Now, they're part of the Red Fang."

A frown creased Ozpin's face. "The Red Fang? Well, then, this is a problem…"

"I'm sorry, the who?" Yang spoke up again, this time more in control of her emotions.

"They're an elite division, technically separate from the White Fang. But, they handle all of the White Fang's reconnaissance, assassinations, and code enforcement." Ozpin replied, looking to Ruby to once again take the lead.

"Lion was their last fully-fledged member, the others having been recently wiped out, and Bear was on her final test. They were, are, two of the most dangerous people in all of Remnant."

"Then how did you beat them by yourself, if they're so good?" Weiss chipped in, confusion etched across her face.

Blake's eyes widened as she realized she had the answer. "Statera," was all she said.

"What?" Three voices filled the room, all turning to Blake while Ruby nodded.

"That's right. As I told all of you before I left, I was hunting for balance. Well, I found it. It's called Statera. It was because of that that I was able to beat them. Even with their training. Even with their... other advantage." Ruby's voice fell as she finished her sentence.

"What advantage?" Yang asked, almost afraid for the answer.

Ozpin's eyes widened as he realized what Ruby was talking about. "No, you don't mean to tell me…"

"Only Lion. Bear isn't one of those things. Yet," Ruby quietly said, looking at the ground. "But she's close. I don't know if you can still save her."

"We'll try, but we might need help if it gets too far." Ozpin's voice was sullen, realizing what he was up against. "I'll double the security on Lion as well."

"I'm sorry again, but one of what things?" Weiss pressed, confusion evident.

"Do the two of you remember the argument Blake and I had before I left? About how I found a different way from the normal two?"

Both nodded, not sure where this was going. "Well, the people of the Red Fang, they follow a fourth philosophy. One far, far more sinister than you could ever imagine."

Blake's eyes narrowed, not liking where this was going. "What do you mean Ruby?"

"In the usual methods, people put one side of themselves over the other, giving that one the dominance and therefore, the control. In my method, I find balance between the two, bringing them together into one being. But their method. They try to make it so there is only one being as well. But…" Ruby's stopped, trying to find how to put this gently. Finding no such way, she said flatly, "They let the beast kill and eat the human inside them."

Her words seemed to echo in the small room, resonating in ways they never should. Blake was the first to recover from the shock, but her voice still shook when she spoke. "They… They what?"

"They kill their humanity. They give the beast complete, 100% control. And when this happens, there is a void, a gap that needs to be filled."

"So what do they do?" Blake asks, not really sure she wasn't to know.

"They fill it with the only thing they can. Darkness, negativity, hatred. You might be able to fill it with other things, like love or kindness, but if someone ever gets to this point, all they know is darkness." Ruby shut her own eyes and leaned back in the chair. When she opened them again, there was a fire there, a burning hate that knew no bounds. When she spoke, her voice radiated anger. "When they fill the gap, they change. They become, something else. You wouldn't see it by looking at them, but they become the very things we fight."

Weiss's eyes opened, realizing just what Ruby meant. "No, that can't be…"

"I'm afraid it is," Ozpin interjected. "You see, the Red Fang that Ruby is talking about, is an organization that turns its members into Grimm."

"That's impossible," Blake cut in, refusing to believe it. "They can't be part Grimm. There is no Grimm humans. Besides, Lion had a semblance. Grimm can't have those, they don't have auras."

"Yes, they can," Ruby replied, the fire dying as she calmed herself down. "Grimm do have miniscule auras, but they can't activate them. But human Grimm aren't born, their made. And if the person has an activated aura, well, we get what Lion is. A Grimm with a mind and a semblance. The process shatters their aura, so they can't shield themselves anymore, but somehow, their semblance remains."

Blake was now nodding as the story started to piece together. "That's why you were able to cut his arm off without any effort, and why you had to stop the bleeding for him."

"Wait, Ruby cut someone's arm off?" Yang looked back and forth between Ruby and Blake.

"When she saved my life," Blake explained. "She came across me and Lion fighting on the edge of Forever Fall, and she intervened. He was about to kill me..."

"Then I have no issue with this," Yang said, eyes going hard. "If he still breaths, he got off easy."

"Anyways…" Ruby continued. "The Red Fang makes Grimm humans. They are faster and stronger than regular people, and are significantly smarter than Grimm. In fact, you can consider them Grimm commanders. If there is a Grimm within a mile, they can sense and control them. When I went for Blake, I had to clear out the Grimm in the area first, making sure that Lion didn't call for help."

"Lion mentioned something about that," Blake put in. "I guess that explains how he knew."

"Yeah. But the worst part of the Red Fang, is that that is their final goal. They want to make the entire world Grimm humans. They split off from the White Fang to search out this goal, but will continuing working with them for as long as their goals align."

"But what about humans?" Weiss put in. "You said that they need to let the beast kill the man in order to become one of those things. I though only Faunus had those."

"No. Almost everything as those two sides. But Grimm don't have that human side. That's why everything except the Grimm have auras. That's why everyone has instincts. It's just that among the Faunus, the beast and human sides are more prominent than in any other species."

Silence once again filled the room as the team processed this new information. Blake in particular was stunned. Over the course of less than a week, her world had been turned on its head so many times, she never thought she would know which was up again. First, Ruby had blown her away with a supposed third way of life. Then, she learned that she didn't know as much as she thought about the White Fang and their operations. And now, she was being told that humans and Faunus were willingly being turned into Grimm. But her day wasn't done yet.

"Ruby, you've told us the how, the why, and the what. But you still haven't told us how you know all this. I specialized in information gathering and hunting, but here you are, telling me things that I've never even heard rumors of. So tell me now. How? How do you know?" Blake amber eyes stared into Ruby's silver ones, demanding the answers she sought.

Ruby sighed and stood once more. She walked to the window and sat on the ledge, looking out at the courtyard. When she spoke, her voice was serious, and even if she wasn't speaking loudly, it rang through the room. "Let me ask you a few things first. Blake, the Reaper, how long ago did they emerge?"

"What? What does this have to do with the Reaper?"

"I know that you were following them for years. You'll see what I'm getting at soon enough."

"Well, they emerged three years ago, but that's only officially. They've been around for about 8 years…" Blake's voice carried off, still confused as to why she was being asked this.

"Weiss, why does the media believe that the Reaper has been able to elude the White Fang for so long?"

"They believe it's because the Reaper does precision operations all around the world, and doesn't spend more than a few weeks in one place."

"Ok, good. Yang, do you remember how long it's been since mom died?"

"Huh… Oh, yeah, it's been about 8 years now."

"And where have I been living during thos e 8 years?"

"You stayed in that house, on the edge of the kingdom, until about 4 years ago, when you sold it and started living in the forest itself." Yang's voice trailed off, not liking where this was heading.

Ruby then turned to Ozpin and dropped the final bomb."Professor Ozpin, who is the Reaper?" Six eyes immediately turned to their headmaster, two sets filled with shock that he would know, one hoping for a solid answer.

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee before starting. "The Reaper is an extremely talented individual, someone who grew up training to be a hunter. About 8 years ago, an event occurred that made them hate the White Fang and all they do. They started a war all by themselves, picking up some help along the way, but generally fought by themselves. For the first three years, before the public even knew about the Reaper, they were hunted by the authorities and the hunters alike. Wanted as a violent vigilante, they lived on the run. They became pretty well known in the underground and among the authorities."

Before continuing, Ozpin looked at the girls around him, making sure they were still with him. Weiss and Yang seemed interested enough, but Blake looked like she was barely containing herself. Obviously, the story about her hero had caught her attention. "Soon, renowned hunters began to follow the Reaper, hoping to bring the vigilante in. For about 5 months, far longer than anyone expected them to last, the Reaper stayed 2 steps ahead of the elite hunters. And they would have continued indefinitely, if it wasn't for sheer bad luck. One day, two hunters came across a White Fang operation. I was one of them. We prepared for a fight, thinking that we would be the ones to strike a blow against the terrorist organization. What we weren't prepared for was the Reaper walking out the door, dragging a group of bound White Fang members behind them. From our lookout position, we could see smoke began to billow from the windows, and a small glow could be seen through the door behind the Reaper."

Ozpin took a breath and another sip of his coffee. "Naturally, we thought that the Reaper had started the fire, and were about to charge in when the Reaper did something unexpected. They charged back into the burning building. Moments later, the glow started to wane, and the smoke started to die down. The Reaper had gone back in to keep the building from burning. We were confused, but took up positions to capture the Reaper nonetheless. We would figure out why they went back in later. When they emerged, we pounced, prepared to subdue the Reaper with nonlethal force. What we hadn't expect, was for the Reaper to be waiting for us to make a move, and instead, capture us."

"Wait, so the Reaper attacked you?" Weiss cut in. "How come I've never heard of this before? This would have been national news."

"Your right, it would have been, if the Reaper had harmed us. All they did was use a small amount of their aura to stun us."

"Wait, that's high level stuff," Yang cut in. "Only a few people know about it, let alone how to use it in combat. Hell, the only people who I know can do that are…" Yang's eyes widened, as she came to a revelation.

"That's right Yang. And as it's such an advanced technique," Ozpin put in, "you can imagine my surprise when this random vigilante was using it. The only reason I wasn't knocked out like my partner that day was because of the training I received from Qrow."

"Qrow never said anything about it," Yang mumbled, clearly upset this was the first she heard of this story, considered that her uncle was involved, even if indirectly.

"He had his reasons Yang. Anyways," Ozpin started up again, "I asked the Reaper who they were, and who taught them their fighting style. But all the Reaper said was they learned from the best. They turned to leave, but I wasn't done with them to leave yet. I asked them why they went back in, and do you know how they answered? They said because they didn't want the fire to spread to the other buildings. They had gone back into the burning build, risking their life, to protect the property around the White Fang warehouse. Now tell me, does that sound like a randomly violent vigilante?"

No one answered. "Exactly. While I had their attention, I asked them another question. I asked if they wanted to be a hunter."

"Wait, you asked the Reaper, the vigilante and a criminal in the eyes of the law, to become a hunter?" Weiss questioned, shock across her face.

"Some people do not have the resources available to become a hunter, even if they have the talent and the heart." Ozpin nodded at Blake, who said nothing. "I just assumed that the Reaper was one of the ones that slipped through the cracks. But turned the offer down. They said that they had been alone for too long to start working in a team. That they would just put others in danger like they did to themselves. 'I can't lose another. Not again,' were their exact words if I remember right."

Ozpin went to take another sip of his coffee, but found his mug was empty. Frowning, he put the mug on the ground before continued his story. "I told them that we could fix that. That we could train them. But they still declined. They said it would look to suspicions. But when I asked how so, they didn't reply. Instead, they simply took off their hood. And what I saw was the reason they had declined. The reason it would look suspicious. They were a 13 year old girl. A teenage girl was the one that had been causing the White Fang hell for years, and eluding all the hunters chasing them. What they said next, broke my heart, both as a teacher and a hunter. They said that for what they were doing, they needed to go alone. If they got a team, they would only lead them to an early death, because that's where they were heading. This thirteen year old girl, barely out of adolescence, was already prepared to die in the shadows, just to defeat the White Fang. I decided then that I would do everything I could to make sure that didn't happen."

"Wait, wait, wait," Weiss interrupted again. "You're telling me that the Reaper was a child when they started fighting the White Fang? That they are younger than us, and they're out there alone, fighting these monsters?"

"Yes, I am. But they aren't alone anymore. I made a deal with them that day. We agreed that we would unofficially make the Reaper a huntress. They would be backed by the hunters, but we couldn't openly support their actions. If they were in a pinch, or needed information fast, they could get what they needed with a simple code. I wasn't much, but I would be enough to keep them alive. And in return, when the time came, they would come to school and learn to work in a team. They would become an official huntress."

"That was 5 years ago, so what, does that mean that the Reaper will be here in two years?" Weiss asked.

"No, not quite. See, it would be strange if a 13 year old joined Beacon, especially one that would outclass every student there, even the upperclassmen. An 18 year old, however, not so much."

Weiss continued to look confused, but Blake's eyes slowly widened, as she reached the same conclusion as Yang. "Wait, so they're here now? At this school?" Weiss asked.

"No, no, that can't be…" Blake whispered off to the side. She had brought her hands to her mouth, the shock evident in her amber eyes.

"Weiss, they are closer than you think," Ozpin said, then stood up and made his way to the door. "I'll leave the rest to you, Ms. Rose. Come to my office later, and we'll discuss what the next step will be."

"Sounds like a plan," Ruby said from her chair. As soon as Ozpin left the room, all heads turned to Ruby.

Weiss opened her mouth to start talking, but closed it quickly, looking a Ruby as if she was seeing the younger girl for the first time. Blake and Yang just stared at Ruby, equally at a loss. 'I can't believe I never realized it. She knew everything about me, but I never questioned how before…' Blake thought, too shocked to speak.

Ruby stood and put the chair against the wall, then turned and faced her team who was facing her, shock still apparent. "I'll finish Ozpin's story where he left off. Obviously, the Reaper accepted the deal, but there was still 5 years before she could come here. So she went to work, weakening the White Fang so that she could have 4 years of peace. 4 years to do what was needed. When she was done, she planned to take her team and finish the White Fang once and for all. Over the years, she grew stronger, did more jobs, and became a symbol against the White Fang. But the entire time, she hid in the shadows. Few people knew who she was, but she always did what she could to protect those close to her. When she got to the school, she joined a team. A team that she knew could carry themselves. Alone, each of them was, are the best of the best. But together, they will be the ones to take down a monstrous organization. Together, they could become the family she had lost."

Somewhere along the line, a final connection had finally clicked in Weiss's head, and she started to cry. She cried because she hadn't known. She cried because she didn't know what to say. She cried, because Ruby had been looking out for her far longer than Weiss had known.

Yang stood up, tears streaming down her face as well, and limped over to Ruby. Without saying a word, she pulled Ruby into a hug. "You could have told me. I would have helped," she whispered in Ruby's ear. "I loved Summer too. I promised to end those that hurt you two if I ever found them, but there you were, doing it all yourself."

"I'm sorry Yang, but I couldn't do that to you. You were already searching for your own mom. I couldn't put you through what I went through as well. I was young and stupid, and I let my pride get to me. But now," Ruby wrapped her arms around Yang, "now you know, and we can get the bastards together."

Blake walked up and hugged the two sisters herself, pressing her forehead against Ruby's ears, wetting them with her own tears. "Ruby, because of you, I have another chance. You got me here. You gave me this life. Now, I give it back. I will fight by your side. Together, we will end the White Fang and truly find peace for Faunus everywhere."

The bed creaked as Weiss climbed out, and with the help of crutches leaning against the wall, she made her way over to her team. Tears still glistened on her face when she reached them, and she put her arms around their shoulders, using their weight to support herself. She placed her head on Ruby's free shoulder. Through the tears, she said, "Ruby, I said thank you for saving my life earlier, but now I don't think that will be enough. No, I know I can ever thank you enough. Because not only did you save my life yesterday, but you saved my mom just days before. I can never thank you enough for that. I can never thank you enough for the times you protected my family and my family's company for all those years. But I can start to make it up. Ruby, I swear on my life, that I will stand by you. I will fight for what's right. I will do all that I can to help you defeat the White Fang, so you can finally have a normal life."

Now the tears flowed from Ruby's eyes like waterfalls, as she wrapped her arms around her other two teammates as well. "You two don't owe me anything. You have given me things that I have never had before. You gave me best friends. You gave me people to love. I couldn't ask you to do more."

"Don't you dare try to stop us," Blake growled. "You may not ask for it, you may not like it, but we're here, and we're gonna stay whether you like it or not."

Ruby didn't say anything to that. They stood in that hug for quite some time, crying into each other, reveling in each other's touch. Despite what they had been through, despite where they were now, despite what was to come, they would always stand together. They would become the voices of justice. Together, they would end the White Fang and all the pain that they brought with them.

* * *

><p><strong>Whoo, happy ending! Ok, this was by far the longest chapter I have written. It doubles the minimum I put for myself, but there no way that I was gonna break these into parts. It ended up being over twice as long as my self-set minimum. I'm sorry if the editing was off at all, but I did this after doing Calculus for 3 hours and Thermodynamics for another 4. This basically ends the first arc. Again, this is much farther than I even originally thought out, so now I need to plan out some of the build up. Was gonna do that this week, but finals decided to blow that plan out of the water. Along with next week.<strong>

**But hey, some good news! As well as planning along this arc, I'm thinking of starting a second story as well. Throwing a couple ideas around in my head, so no, I don't know what it will be. I'm ranging from college au to post apocalyptic, so I have no idea what it will be about, or if it will even happen anytime soon. Just a warning should I have ample amounts of time this winter break.**

**I may post again in time, but should I not, I would like with wish you all Happy Holiday's.**

**Bad joke time: What do you call a tooth in a glass of water? One molar solution.**


	12. Discovering Herself

Ruby Rose sat in the garden, legs crossed beneath her, and light failing as the sun dipped beneath the horizon. Sounds floated across the clearing as she meditated, easing her mind and granting her peace. Owl hooted, deer wandered, and rodents curled up for the night. The garden was an amazingly place, especially for being in the center of campus.

She had needed this escape. Even if it had only been for the day, she had hated being trapped in that small hospital room. The size hadn't been an issue. Quite the contrary. For a full team, that room was quite spacious. It was the smell. Sickness, blood, pain. They just sickened her to no end. It was ever worse now that she was a Statera. 'Stat? Stater? I need to figure out a word for that.' Those heightened senses had worked against her, and soon she couldn't bare it any more. She would never get used to hospitals, no matter how many times she was in them. If that ever happened, Ruby would have lost herself, and that was something that she could never let happen.

Even if it was just the campus infirmary, the medical care given there was top of the line. In fact, it was the best in the nation. On almost a daily basis, new people were flown in, requesting some treatment for their condition. Some were worse off than others, but no matter who or what it was, the people in need got the help they needed. Really, it was beautiful, how open and accepting Beacon was. Sure, there were always people like Cardin, who were unsavory at best, but the edges were always buffed out. In the end, no matter who you were, you were alive, and deserved to stay that way. Of course, as beautiful as that was, it only made Ruby's situation worse. Just down the hall Ruby could actually smell an emergency medical procedure as it happened. Just next door, they were disinfecting the room. Anywhere you went, the smells got worse. It was all Ruby could do to stay focused on her story and not bolt out the room.

After their group hug, Team RWBY had another run in with a certain nurse. Well, run in makes it sounds worse than it was. Nurse Iola had actually come in while the group was still hugging, and after a moment of silence, broke them up, exiling the injured Weiss and Yang back to their beds. While there was initial grumbling, the girls complied, realizing the sooner they were better, the sooner they could leave. But the nurse wasn't done there. She turned on her heels to face Ruby, who braced for the worse. But instead of being berated for being out of bed, or for her previous behavior, the nurse stepped forward and warped her arms around the brunette. Nothing was said for a few moments as Ruby stood in shock, all eyes on her. When the nurse disengaged, she placed her hands on Ruby's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. Ruby could see tears glistening in the corners of the nurse's eyes.

"When I first took this job, I knew I would see incredible things. Young men and women who fight the monsters and protect those that can't protect themselves. The best of the best, and the future leaders of the world," the nurse said weakly. "I knew that this wouldn't be a normal job, and that I would have a few shocks. But I never thought I would hear that code, or that it would come from such a young woman. I never thought that the Reaper, the one who saved my brother from a White Fang attack, would be one of my patients. But here you are. And I can finally thank you." With that, Ruby was brought into another embrace. "If there is anything, ANYTHING, that you need, let me know. No matter what it is, I'll do it."

Ruby finally pulled away from the woman, a small smile on her face. "I'm happy to do what I can. But I couldn't ask that of you. You have your own job here. I couldn't let you risk that."

"Yeah, you don't get to say no. You can't go through what you do and not need any help. Living such a life will wear you down, no matter who you are. I've already put my name down to be Team RWBY's personal nurse, so this is more of a statement than a request. Besides," the nurse cracked her own smile and whipped away her tears, "if everyone else knew who you were, they would be fighting tooth and nail for the opportunity. Besides, each nurse is required to pick a team to care for. Even if we're older, we're in training too. This way, no one else needs to find out the truth."

Ruby just shook her head, still smiling. "There's no stopping you is there?" Nurse Iola just shook her head, matching Ruby's small smile. "Well, anyways, thank you. We'll be sure to stop by when we need some help."

"Damn right you will."

Shortly after that, Ruby had been given a clean bill of health and discharged. Blake had stayed behind to spend time with her injured teammates, but Ruby couldn't stay there any longer. She needed to feel the wind against her face. She gave Weiss a quick kiss and left the room, making a beeline for the garden. She needed to meditate.

* * *

><p>And there she had sat for hours, clearing her mind of all thoughts, and just embracing quiet. Of course, that hadn't lasted. The sun was starting to fall below the treetops when suddenly, the light shifted, and a dark figure walked soundlessly into the clearing. It said nothing at first, just walking the edge of the tree line, watching Ruby behind shaded eyes. Ruby watched right back, curious, but not sensing any malicious intent from the figure. After what seemed like eternity of watching, the figure seemed to deem it safe and stepped into the newly shining spotlight.<p>

No amount of training could have prepared Ruby for what stood before her. Nothing could have readied her for the face that stared back at her. Her face. Yet not. The details were there, the silver eyes, the curve of her nose, but there was something off about them. They were aged, wisdom pressing creases into her once soft face. The eyes shone with determination, and the walk told the tales of countless days training, honing the perfect weapon. Dressed in all black, the figure stood there, wolf ears twitching on her head, waiting for Ruby to make the first move.

"And just who are you," Ruby questioned, not moving from her spot, but every muscle tensing in preparation. 'And just how can there be another wolf Faunus in the area that I didn't know about?' Ruby thought to herself.

"Come on, I thought this would be an easy one. What, with a smart girl like you." When Ruby didn't relax, the other Ruby sighed, and leaned against a nearby tree, the light seeming to follow her. "I'm the inner you, the you that you just woke up. The combination of your beast and human."

Ruby sat for a moment, not quite believing what she was hearing, but eventually she nodded and relaxed. It explained what was happening at least. Why she was talking to an apparently older version of herself, and why the sun had suddenly decided to turn into a spotlight. "So, you're me? Just thought you'd go for a walk and pop in to say hi?"

"Hey, I'm just here to bring you up to speed, I don't make the rules of how."

"What do you mean, bring me up to speed?"

Inner Ruby stood up straight and walked into the center of the clearing, before dropping down and crossing her legs, facing Ruby. "Like I said, I'm here to talk to you about what you've done. I'm sorry, that sounded harsh. What you've achieved. Statera. And at such a young age. It's impressive to say the least."

"And how do you know anything about it? You even said you just woke up." Ruby was doubtful to say the least. "I barely know anything about it, yet you're telling me it's impressive? I thought you were me."

"Hey, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Inner Ruby chuckled. "Ok," she conceded, "I know the what, not really the how. I guess you could call it instincts. All the matters is that I know what you need to know, and I'm not going anywhere until you do."

"First, one question. Why do you look like that? I can tell you're me, but not. What gives?"

"Not what I was expecting, but fair point. I'm the you that wasn't supposed to come out. This is what you would have looked like if you never achieved Statera. I am you if you had just put that book down all those years ago and lived a normal life. But you didn't, and here I am. Now, your future is anyone's guess."

Ruby seemed to be satisfied with the answer, and gave the other her a nod to continue. Without standing, the Inner Ruby straightened her back and cracked a smile. "Then where to start. Well, let's start with the obvious. Me. I'm literally the combination of the beast and human inside you, transforming me into a Faunus," Inner Ruby said while wiggling her ears. "I was always there, yet I wasn't. My consciousness was split between the two beings, and I couldn't come too until they settled their differences. Congrats on that again by the way. You're the first one to do this in over 10,000 years."

"And how the hell do you know that? It's not in any book that I know of."

"Instincts. You'll learn to trust them, especially since they'll be more noticeable now. But you'll see that soon enough. I need to tell you what you can do before it's too late."

"Too late for what? You're inside me, so what's the rush?"

"The rush, little wolf, is that you woke me up. I'm a temporary thing. Since you matched the inside with the out, everything will start to balance out. I'll only have a few days until I fade into your subconscious. But since you decided to take that little adventure for a couple days, I haven't had any time. I won't be leaving you, but becoming you. So in the little amount of time we have, I need to tell you everything. Everything you are. Everything you can be."

Ruby just sat in stunned silence. That hadn't been the answer she expected. Inner Ruby took the silence as encouragement to go on, and she did just that. "The first thing you need to know about is the impact you'll have on those close to you."

Ruby found her voice for this one. It was nothing new. "I already know about that. I'll drag others toward Statera. It's just natural. Hell, its already happening to Blake."

Inner Ruby shook her head, chuckling softly to herself. "You know the basics. You have no idea what kind of effect you'll have on your pack."

"My pack? I'm literally a lone wolf, I don't run with a pack."

"Fine, your team, your family. Whatever you want to call them, just those you're close to."

"What does this have to do with my team?"

"Well, everything. As you know, achieving Statera affects everyone around you. As you discover inner peace, they will start to search for it. As you get stronger, so will they. In the end, you'll be all the better for it. Closer. If you do it right, you're pack will never be out of reach. They will always just be a thought away."

"Wait, you mean like mind reading?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"That's terrifying!" Ruby exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure they don't want me in their heads."

"Relax Ruby. It's all voluntary. If they don't want you in their heads, you can't get in. But I don't think that will be an issue. You're a pack. They already trust you unconditionally. Should be as easy as thinking about them."

"I'm not going to abuse that!" Ruby insisted, not liking the thought of stepping into her teammate's minds.

"Calm down. You shouldn't be able to do that for a while anyways. And again, voluntary. You're not going to be kicking down any mental doors." Inner Ruby stood from where she sat, looking directly into the light that shined on her. "There are only a few changes besides that. I would mention that physical boost, but you've already put that to good use. Same with aura boost. I guess all that's left would be life expectancy." Inner Ruby turned and began to walk out of the clearing, waving over her shoulder. "It's safe to say it's going a little bit longer. You be good now, Ruby. Remember, trust those instincts, and we just might live to not grow old." Suddenly, she stopped, and looked over her shoulder, grinning. "Maybe Weiss will do it right along with us." And then she disappeared.

* * *

><p>"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!" Ruby shouted at no one in particular. The light was now completely gone, and the stars shown over head. She was alone in the clearing, but it looked like another hour had passed. "You can't drop a bombshell on me like that then just disappear. Now I've got to go do more research. Really. Fuck… well I guess that's me," Ruby muttered under her breath. That was, until she heard a rustle off to her left. Ruby prepared to leap away, until a familiar scent drifted through the air. Ruby relaxed again, and motioned for her visitor to step of the shadows.<p>

"I know you're codename was Shadow, but you aren't in the field right now. You can come out," Ruby said nonchalantly. A few seconds later, Blake stepped into the clearing, her amber eyes glowing in the faint moon light.

"I figured that I'd find you out here when you weren't in the dorm. What I didn't figure was I would find you shouting at nothing," Blake said evenly. "Care to explain?"

"Just having an argument with myself. I didn't want to give myself the full story. We'll work it out later."

"I'm just not gonna ask anymore," Blake sighed before walking next to Ruby and sitting against the tree. She said nothing at first and just leaned her head back against the trunk, soaking in the sounds of the garden, eyes closed. When, she spoke, it was barely over a whisper, as if not to disturb the wooded area. "Train me."

Ruby wasn't sure that she had heard Blake right, and did a double take. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Train me Ruby. I've seen what you can do. You're a hero as the Reaper, and you always were even before you achieved Statera. Now that you have, you're unstoppable. I know it sounds selfish, but I want that. That strength. That ability to protect those around you. So please, teach me."

Ruby was silent for a moment, and simple leaned back looking up at the stars. "I thought you wanted to think about this first. What changed your mind?"

"I did think about it. All day. Ever since we went on out little walk. I've seen what you can do. And I want to help you. So in short, you did."

Ruby just leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes. Silence fell between to two, and Blake shifted uncomfortably. When Ruby spoke, she matched Blake's initial tone. Accompanied by a soft breeze, Ruby whispered, "Okay."

"Listen, I know you probably don't think I'm ready, but I am. I've been following you for years, and now I finally have the chance to help, so just let me…"

"Blake…."

"Look, I know you probably think I'm being reckless, but I know this is what I want, and if you don't train me, I'll…"

"BLAKE! Stop babbling. I already said okay."

Blake sat in embarrassed silence for a moment, realizing what she had just done. When she recovered, she simply nodded and said "Thank you. I won't let you down."

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Stop acting so formal. I know you just asked me to train you, and I know you just found out I'm the Reaper, but before all that, I'm Ruby. I'm no different from the person you've lived with for the past semester. So don't start acting different now."

"Sorry, I guess I'm a bit nervous. Not very often that you get to be trained by your savior."

"Well, don't be. Like I said, I'm still me. Nothing special. So don't you start acting strange on me. You're the calm one. If we lose you, team RWBY is nothing more than a cluster of unstable war machines."

"No, you'd hold us together. You can…"

"Blake, don't start."

"Sorry."

Ruby just shook her head and looked at her feline friend. They both broke into small smiles as their eyes met, which turned into soft giggles. Those giggles turned into gentle chuckles, and before they knew it, they were balled up on the ground, howling with laughter. After a while, the laughter finally died, and Ruby was able to breathe again. She placed her hands behind her head and laid back, staring up at the stars.

"So you wanna start now?"

Blake jumped a little bit at the sudden question, but recovered quickly. "What?"

"You wanna start now?" Ruby asked again. "It's a beautiful night, and it never a bad time to find that peace."

Blake just stared at her friend, who was still flat on her back staring at the starts, and simply smirked. "Ok, let's do it. What do I do?"

* * *

><p>"There you go, now you're relaxing." Ruby encouraged. Blake and Ruby had been in the clearing all night, and the sun was actually staring to peak over the opposite horizon. "Just focus on your core, your inner self, and let it flow out of you. Let it reach out through the trees. Let it push the edge of your senses beyond what you thought was possible."<p>

Blake sat across from Ruby, legs crossed beneath her. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing had finally steadied. It had been a long night, but progress had definitely been made. Blake had slowly relaxed into a meditative trance, and somehow, Ruby could actually feel Blake's inner beings slowly begin to work out their differences.

Ruby looked at her friend as a smile broke across her face. Blake had always seemed like the calm one on the team, the one who was always relaxed and could take anything the world threw at her. But despite appearances, it had taken Blake ages to even grasp the concept of breathing steadily, let alone allowing the mediation take her. She had actually been staining herself to the point of sweating while listening to Ruby. Ruby was just impressed that she had actually figured it out before the night was out. With how far gone Blake was, Ruby had expecting this to be an all day affair.

Given the recent events, Ozpin had excused team RWBY from all classes for the next week, and now that Blake was ready, Ruby planed on wasting no time. While they had the time, she figured she could send Blake as far down that path as possible. But there was one thing that still bothered her. What her inner self had mentioned earlier. That she would be able to read her teammates minds. That just didn't seem possible, but then again, neither was Statera if you asked most anyone. All Ruby could do was try. Who knows, maybe there was something to this. Ruby sat across from Blake, crossing her legs as she lowered herself to the ground, and easily slipping into her meditative position. With a small smile on her lips, Ruby closer her eyes and let her breathing steady. She began to focus her mind, not on her inner self, but on the girl that sat across from her, the girl who had just found her inner selves.

Almost immediately, Ruby found herself in a clearing, different from the one she had just been in. No sounds of animals reached her ears, and not breeze cut through the air. But before her was a scene she hadn't been expecting. Blake was standing with her back to Ruby, arms crossed, and shaking. In front of Blake sat two figures. One was clearly a cat of some sort, and the other a person. 'Blake's inner selves,' Ruby thought, surprised at what she was seeing. Was she in Blake's head? Already? 'Why is she shaking? What are they saying to her?'

"I told you that you could do it," a voice echoed in her head. "Though I never thought I would see it. You're good at this. Barely a couple days in, and your already melding minds with your pack. And you said you didn't want to."

"You're still here?" Ruby thought back. "I thought I'd seen the last of you."

"Nah, you still got a couple more hours of little old me."

"So, are we are in Blake's mind?" Ruby thought back. "I didn't think this was possible."

"Anything is possible for us. Well, not anything, but you know what I mean. But you'll figure it out. Right now, it looks like our beta needs our help."

"Beta? You mean Blake?" But the voice was gone, and Ruby was alone in her mind again. Shaking her head, she walked beside Blake and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. Blake jumped at the contact, and she spun to face Ruby. Fear shown in her eyes, but it wasn't purely from the shock. Some of it lingered from before. Blake was terrified, and it was breaking her down.

"Ruby? What… What's happening? What are these voices?" Blake tried to sound calm, but as she spoke, her voice quickly broke down, cracking as she finished.

"Shh… It's okay Blake. I'm here to help. Nothing is going to hurt you," Ruby consoled. She looked at the two figures that were just outside the tree line, allowing the shadows to conceal them. They sat close enough to the edge of the shadows that a stiff breeze could send light streaming down on them, but that wouldn't be changing any time soon.

Well, that was what Ruby thought. Suddenly, the two figures were thrown forward, as if shoved by an unseen force. Blake flinched at this, looking around in renewed fear.

"You two stop tormenting the girl already! Your scaring her witless!" A familiar voice echoed around the clearing, confusing Blake. The owner of that voice was standing right next to her, and hadn't uttered a word.

The two figures sat back up in the light, cleaning the dust off their respective coats, wearing their hurt dignity like a badge. "Just because you're the alpha doesn't mean you can act like a child. You should act with more authority," the human complained, smoothing out her jostled hair. "Besides, haven't you ever heard of dramatic entrances?" The cat sat beside her, yowling in agreement.

"You know I really don't care about any of that. All I care about is the fact I see this girl shivering, alone, and her inner selves sitting in the shadows, scaring the dust out of her!"

Finally, a lone figure stepped out from behind the two, and stood up over them, crossing its arms. Blake had to blink multiple times, trying to figure out what she was seeing. "Ruby?" Blake muttered to her leader, standing beside her with her head pressed into her hand, "Why am I seeing two of you?"

"Because apparently my inner self doesn't know how to be subtle."

"Neither do you!" The second Ruby called out, grinning widely.

"Wha…I…" Blake started, but wasn't sure what to say.

"Listen, it's simple. We are representations of us, and they are representations of what's inside us. Since I reached Statera, I only have one. You still haven't, so you have two."

"That doesn't make it better," Blake muttered, but decided she could figure this out later. "How are you even here?"

"Statera." The four other figures all said in unison. Well, three of them did. The fourth one mewed. Ruby was shocked at the sudden unity between them, and turned to look at the inner selves. For the first time, she got a good look at Blake's inner personas. The human was a beautiful woman, one that Ruby guessed to be late 20's. She had black hair to match Blake's, but stark blue eyes. She was dressed in all black, as if she was some sort of ninja. 'Actually, that's very fitting.' Ruby thought with a smirk. The cat, on the other hand, sat calmly, amber eyes staring at Ruby with interest. It was no ordinary house cat, but then again, Ruby had never expected it to be. It was a large, powerful beast, muscles rippling in its shoulders are hit lifted itself even more upright. 'A panther. I knew that Blake as dangerous, but this takes it to a whole new level. Glad she's on our side.' A small growl emanated from the beasts throat, not threatening, but present none the less.

"She wants you to know that she isn't happy a dog is her alpha, but she will still fulfill her duty as beta," the woman in black sighed, as if she already tired of this.

"Oh, uh… tell her that I will do what I can, and I appreciate her cooperation," Ruby replied, unsure of what to expect.

"You just did," the woman replied. As if on cue, the panther nodded its head, and laid down, seeming content to finally lay in the daylight. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, this was a big step…"

"Shove," Inner Ruby put in.

"STEP, we just took. Seeing as were out in the open now, I would like to explain things to Blake."

"Oh, of course," Ruby realized what she had done, and rubbed the back of her head. "My bad, didn't mean to interrupt. I was just trying something out, and it worked better than I had hoped."

"So I noticed. But right now, it seems we're confusing Blake like none other, and I would like to explain what's going on. And seeing as you yourself got here by accident, I feel like you will only just cause more problems."

"Aw, your just a kill joy," Inner Ruby said behind the woman. "Fine, we'll get out of your hair. Ruby has something to take care of on the other side anyways. You two take good care of her now." And with that, Inner Ruby slowly faded into the shadows.

"Ruby, just what is going on? At least tell me that?" Blake said, starting to sound defeated.

"Relax, Blake, your just starting your journey. Those two will explain more, but there's nothing to worry about. You're in good hands."

A yowl sounded from the seated pair. "Right, and paws. Sorry, but right now, I should go see what I meant when I said I have something to take care of."

"What?" Blake asked, confused by the constant use of "I" in Ruby's speech, but Ruby had already faded out of her mind.

* * *

><p>Just a Ruby opened her eyes, a ding sounded from her hip. Sighing, she stood up and stretched. She hadn't been in Blake's mind all that long, but she felt like she had been sitting there for days. Rolling her neck, Ruby felt it pop in multiple places. Slowly, she reached into the pocket where she kept her scroll, and took out the buzzing device.<p>

Ruby's focus quickly sharpened as she glanced at her device. The calm blue that normally sat in the background was now a solid, violent red, and that only meant one thing. The Reaper was needed. Badly.

This system was given to her by the hunter association, meant to contact her before sending the mass alert to all hunters in the area. It gave her about three minutes warning, just enough time to get into a support position. The last time this had happened, a civil war almost broke out in Vacuo. Whatever it was, it was big.

Ruby opened her scroll, hoping that it was nothing serious. But as she read through the message, she felt her heart sink. Before she even finished, she swore once and went to work.

Blake slowly came back to the world, rudely awakened by the sounds of a bolt action rifle. Blinking against the light, she opened her eyes only to see Ruby disappear in a flurry of rose petals.

* * *

><p>Professor Ozpin dazed into his office, looking out over the campus though one of his many windows. People told him that it was a safety hazard, even if the glass was bullet proof, but he couldn't just lock himself in a concrete cube like many of his counterparts had. He needed to be able to look out over the campus, to see the students as they went from one building to the next. They were why he did this, and he could never let himself forget that.<p>

Behind him, his coffee maker dinged, letting him now that his morning pot was finished. Ozpin strode back to his desk, groaning inwardly at the pile of paperwork that had made its way there over the past couple of days. Having been preoccupied with RWBY situation, he had gotten little actual work done. 'Glenda's gonna let me have it later. Shame she doesn't know the truth. It'd make my life easier,' he thought as he poured the dark liquid into his mug. A gentle steam rose above his liquid gold as he walked back to the windows, looking at the extensive garden area. 'I wonder if Ms. Rose is out there again. I can imagine that she would need to get out after the past couple days.' A low buzz came from his desk, letting him know he had a message on his scroll. 'Great, I just got here and someone already needs something.' Ozpin sighed again, and brought his coffee to his lips.

But before the drink could reach his tired lips, the glass all around him exploded. Ozpin didn't move, holding onto the handle of his now shattered coffee mug. He didn't even turn around as his door burst open, but judging by the timing of the two events, it could only be one person.

"Any particular reason I'm not allowed to enjoy my coffee, Ms. Rose?"

Ruby didn't say anything, just marched over to his desk, grabbed his still buzzing scroll, and threw it at her headmaster. Ozpin caught it with his right hand, his left still holding the remains of his mug. He looked at the device, and realized the urgency of Ruby's movements.

His screen was flashing red, and a series words scrolled across the top. 'Three hunter leaders found dead, Ironwood in critical condition. All hunters, protect your designated senior huntsman until further notice.' He looked up as Ruby walked over to where he stood, and watched as she spat in the puddle of coffee at his feet. Ozpin stared on in barely concealed horror as, after a minute, the coffee started to bubble, and ate straight through the carpet that covered his office floor, and began to work through the concrete base.

Ruby Rose had just saved his life.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, that took way longer than I meant it to. I thought, hey, I'll have the motivation to do this after finals, right? Nope. Hey, family stuff won't take up that much time, right? Negative. Hey, I know were getting new carpet, but I won't need to move that much right? Not a chance. I swear, they wait just for me to come back so they don't have to do any heavy lifting.<strong>

**Sorry, rambling. Also, as I started, sorry this took so long. I actually hoped to get this chapter up for Christmas, but obviously that didn't happen. But hey, better late than never I guess. Anyways, thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. I'm going to stop putting an Author's note at the beginning of every chapter, it just seems a little self serving. (I still love the 286 of you following right now, but I need to stop doing that at the start of every chapter). I think it also threw off the flow a bit.**

**So, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope to get another one up relatively soon. It all depends on how my schedule treats me the next few days, but I'd say they odds are in your favor. (Unless my family somehow finds some other piece of furniture I need to move.)**

**Did you hear Oxygen went on a date with Potassium? It went OK.**


	13. Gathering Storm

Ozpin was at a loss for words. Keeping to his duty as headmaster, he made sure to not let his true feelings show. He had to stay strong. He could never tell when a student would burst through the doors with their world turned upside down, and he was the only one that could right it once again. But the shock of his near death experience naturally had him a little stressed out. Ozpin just stared at the floor, where his coffee now slowly bored a hole through the carpet. Not more than a minute before, he had been about to drink that coffee. If it hadn't been for Ruby, he would have. He would have been the one on the ground, painfully dying as the acid worked its way through his stomach.

The doors to his office flew open once more, and a desperate Glynda Goodwitch rushed into the room. Before she could even access the situation, her instincts kicked in. All she saw was the shattered window, and a cloaked figure standing near to the headmaster up on the loft. With a flick of her crop, the shattered glass took to the air once more, quickly fusing into a jagged spear. The makeshift spear rushed at the unknown visitor, its only goal to protect the headmaster from any unknown danger. At least 3 hunter leaders lay dead, and Glynda wasn't about to let Ozpin join that sad list.

But as the spear flew, reason began to reassert itself. There was something off here. The headmaster was far too calm for this to be a threat. This wasn't his work face, or even his hunting face. It was a face that few knew. She considered herself lucky to have seen it. And now, there was someone else that was receiving such a privilege. Spear still flying, Glynda finally took the time to glance over their guest. Even beneath the cloak she could see they stood tall, with their shoulders thrown back and their head held high beneath that hood. The perfect picture of confidence. Yet a chilling, deadly air emanated from them. Anyone with proper training could see just how dangerous this person was. Even without seeing their face, Glynda knew that is person had seen their fair share of battles and were not to be trifled with. But how had they beaten her there? As the second-in-command at Beacon, she was supposed to have all warnings rushed to her before any other hunters. It was always better to panic a few powerful people with a false alarm rather than cause riots among the masses. But, after her, there should be a least a 5 minute window before the other staff members even got the warning. Just enough time for her to reach her destination and assess the situation. In fact, it was the same system they had given to…

'Oh no,' Glynda thought. 'I've just killed the Reaper.'

But even as she thought this, she was proven wrong. In a swirl of red, the cloaked visitor spun around, and caught the spear, a mere few inches from their chest. With their bare hand.

Calmly, they reached up and touched the inside of their hood with their free hand. "Good to see you too, Glynda," the disguised voice drifted across the room. Its electronic echo sent a shiver up Glynda's spine, as it usually did. Of course, this was the first time she was hearing it firsthand. Generally it was over the phone or through garbled recordings. There was just something about hearing it in person that made it all the more real. She was standing in the same room as one of the most dangerous people in the world. And she spent her whole life around hunters.

"Sorry about that Reaper, but you can imagine why I might be a bit jumpy," Glynda said evenly as she walked up the stairs to where the pair was standing, hiding her relief that her attack had failed. "I'm a bit surprised you know who I am though."

"There isn't a single hunter I don't know. But your second-in-command at Beacon. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't know you," Glynda tried to look the cloaked visitor in the eyes as they said this, but the hood hid their face in perfect shadow as they spoke. "And as second-in-command, I believe you have the power to lower the alert level at Beacon."

"Why would we want to do that? Hunter leaders are dying out there. What's to say Ozpin won't be the next target?"

"Because the attack already failed," Ozpin said, gesturing to what was now a smoking hole of mess.

"And just what would that be?" Glynda asked, eyebrow cocked.

"That would be my coffee, which our mutual friend here stopped me from drinking." Ozpin face was still as stone, a mask of indifference.

Glynda had spent a lot of time around Opzin, and had long since picked up his mannerisms. She knew about his tendency to procrastinate, his addiction to coffee, and his need to appear strong for those around him. So she knew that while he was staying strong as the headmaster, he was terrified. He had almost died, and it was only because of this vigilante that he was still alive. And he would need her to be strong too. If she started to panic, he would lose it as well.

"I'll lower the alert level, but I won't end it completely. We still need the staff to report to the office. We just don't need the carelessly alarm the students."

"The students would have received this alert?" the disguised voice asked, surprise still reaching through the electronic garbling.

"Yes. Even if they are barely adults, they are some of the best warriors Vale has to offer. There are first years here that could handle this situation like true hunters."

"Is that right?" the voice mused, seeming, was it proud? Ozpin just shook his head at the comment. What did he know that he wasn't telling her? But Glynda shrugged that thought off. If he wasn't telling her, it was either for her own good, or that important to the Reaper. If she needed to know, she would.

"Indeed." Glynda turned to take care of the alert, when suddenly a thought occurred to her. "How's your hand?"

"Hmm?" Glynda could almost feel the eyebrows rise beneath the hood.

"You're still holding a spear of jagged glass in your hand. Isn't it cutting you?"

"Not at all. My aura wouldn't let it."

"That's quite impressive. I was propelling it along with my semblance, yet you stopped it dead in its tracks. I've only known a few people with either an aura that strong or the ability to focus it that well."

"Well, I'm lucky enough to have both. Now, why don't you adjust the alarm before we cause a panic? I'm sure we'll be meeting the teachers here in a short while. When that happens, we'll need your help to keep everyone on their best behavior."

"Quite right," Glynda said as she turned and strode down the hall. Her scroll had started to beep, rather loudly, as all on and off duty hunters were informed of the situation. A bit less subtle than the single ding she had received earlier, but it got the job done. She still had about thirty minutes before the students also got the message. She needed to move quickly, or else it was going to be a long morning.

* * *

><p>"So you don't want to tell her yet?" Ozpin turned to Ruby, who had dropped the spear and was reaching to turn off the disguiser.<p>

"She's stressed right now. I don't know how she would take it." A soft click sounded as the tiny device was switched off. "Maybe later. I might still need her help as it is," Ruby shrugged. She had left her hood up, glancing as the door as she spoke. She didn't need any more close calls with the staff.

"When I said stop by my office later, this isn't what I expected," Ozpin said lightly, only earning a shrug in response. "So how did you know my coffee was poisoned?"

"I don't know. Instincts I guess." Ruby then froze, and then shook her head, laughing. "Son of a bitch. You weren't kidding, were you?"

"Pardon me?"

"Not you, me. I had a conversation with myself earlier, and she told me that my instincts would be sharper." Ozpin just cocked his eyebrow, confusion etched across his face. "It's a Statera thing."

"Ah," Ozpin exhaled, "that makes a bit more sense. It also explains how you knew Glynda was about to skewer you."

"No, I heard her come in. Only Ms. Goodwitch could respond that quickly, seeing as she's the only one besides me that gets that early warning. I just figured she would stab first, ask questions later."

Ozpin was a little surprised by the simplicity of the reply. "How did you know she would do that? She's the most levelheaded huntresses I've ever meant."

"That's just it," Ruby replied. "Huntress. There's a reason that someone like her has survived so long as a hunter, and it wasn't because she sat back and waited for someone else to make the first move."

Ozpin just looked at this girl who was barely a legal adult, and yet she was picking up on mannerisms that he himself had overlooked. In a matter of seconds, she had processed who it might be, how they might react, and how to respond. Granted, it was an assumption that could be made of most anyone coming in his office, but he still never would have assumed Glynda capable of stab first, ask questions later. Ruby had skills that it took veteran hunters decades to master, and she wasn't even 20. 'I wonder,' Ozpin pondered as she walked over to his desk, 'if the teachers knew who she was, who would be the real student?' Of course, he had seen her last dust management test score. It was still passing, but for someone that had a dust expert as a partner, it was nothing to celebrate. But such a thing was a comfort. It just proved that this was still just a young girl. As talented and skilled as she was, she still wasn't perfect. She still needed help.

"Ozpin, I need your opinion."

Ozpin sat in his chair and swirled to face Ruby. "I doubt I will be of much use, but I'm always here for you Ruby."

"Should I keep hiding this from the staff here?"

"By this, you mean your Reaper side, correct?" This earned a quick nod from Ruby. "Well, for now, it might be best if it remains a secret. Much of the staff doesn't even know about our support of your actions. In fact, Glynda is the only other one on campus that knows about the deal hunters have with the Reaper. The rest only know about your emergency code."

"Wait, so they don't even know about all the rooftops I've sat on looking through a sniper scope, making sure they didn't get their asses shot off?"

"They have no idea.

"But then how did the nurse figure out who I was, if all she had to go on was that code?"

"It's still linked to you. It's listed in the hunter directory as an emergency code. A drop all and listen code, if you will. No one really knows who has the authority to use it except for the higher ups, and never expect it to be used. They also know that if someone uses it, and they don't listen, lives are in danger. The only way to link it to you would be to link it though a hunter computer for a request. It's the infirmary's protocol is to enter all reasons for treatment or action into a system. When they enter your code as the reason, they are given a simple message. 'Do as the Reaper says, and ask no questions.'"

"Really, that's it? Nothing else?"

"Nothing else."

"Why even put that there?"

"Nurses will need a slightly better reason than because we told you too. They're not official hunters, and tend to want details of what happened."

"How can you be sure they'll stay silent?"

"Oh, I was very careful when selecting their staff. All the nurses in there are sworn to secrecy as it is, for the sake of protecting the hunters that go through. But for the past few years, with you in mind, I've been putting together a small staff with people who you have helped in some way. Seeing as you would probably end up there one day, I figured it would be better met with friendly faces."

"How do you know no one will use the code without the proper authority?"

"Because it's a code that's reserved for the top of the chain of command. And there is always a report after it's used. We had that happen once. Now, that individual is barred from any further advancement through the ranks. They could have been a captain. Now, their nothing more than a mere foot-soldier. We can't have such an abuse of authority, especially when they haven't even earned it. As such, everyone is afraid to use the code without the authority."

"So only you, Glynda, and that nurse know that the hunters are working with the Reaper and that that code is more than just a protocol?"

"On campus, yes."

"So if Port were to come in right now, he might try to blow me away with that ridiculous axe of his."

"As someone with a high caliber sniper rifle on a scythe, I don't think you have room to talk."

"I have plenty of room to talk. Crescent Rose is cutting edge tech. But that's good to know. Now I really need to make sure I don't brush my voice disguiser by accident while around them."

"I don't think you need to fear your teachers. Even if they suspect something, they won't hurt you."

"Oh trust me, it's not me I'm worried about. But can we get back to the 'should I or shouldn't I'?"

"Right. Well, the issue is that they would only see you as the vigilante. Not as a hunter. Not as the hero you have been for the past few years. They would only see someone who is breaking the law to fulfill their own dangerous sense of justice. It might just be better for you to attend the next meeting as the Reaper. Nothing more. To at least get them used to the idea of the Reaper being an unofficial hunter."

"Fine. I guess that makes sense. I'm just getting a little sick of hiding it. I know it's only been a day, but being able to tell people, to open up, is a feeling I can't even begin to describe. Hiding it, even if it is natural at this point, just seems like I'm holding myself back."

"I know what you mean, Ms. Rose. Despite your secret life, you're a very open person. But remember, you hide it for a reason. It the word got out to the wrong people, you and those around you could be in danger. Your team is now in on your little secret. You can trust them. For now, that's all that matters. For now, I suggest that who you are stays between us for a little while longer."

"Fine."

"Now I believe I hear some teachers thundering down the hall," Ozpin said with a resigned sigh. "I guess it's time to get back into character." Ruby just smiled lightly, and tapped the devise inside her hood as she slid into one of the few shadows in the corner of Ozpin's office.

"I'm sure you can handle this. I've got some checking to do, but I'll be here when you need me." And Ruby faded into the dark, just as Ozpin's door burst open for the third time that day.

* * *

><p>Weiss blinked back against the florescent light, its brightness dragging her from a restless slumber. It had been a long, fitful night, mostly thanks to her concussion. Then again, she hadn't slept well the past few days. Not since Ruby had gone on her trip. She had just spent long nights, laying in bed and watching the empty bunk above her sway slightly in the breeze created by the vents.<p>

She winced as her leg throbbed, as if reminding her of the wound that had been there. 'Well, at least it missed the bone,' Weiss though as she slowly sat up, blinking away the fog as her head protested the movement. Everything ached, though not near as much as the previous day. Maybe she would be cleared by the end of the day like Ruby had said. The progress she had already made was amazing. The stab wound itself was already closed up, leaving a light pink line in its place. Her head still hurt, and her vision got fuzzy if she sat up to fast, but even that was an improvement on the previous day. Besides that, all that remained was reviving the muscles that had been sliced through. A single session of focused aura therapy should be able to clear both those right up. But that was just the problem. 'Just how much aura did Ruby give me? Even with the extra help, I still shouldn't be this far along.' And she was right. She knew her aura's healing abilities, and she knew she should have been laid up in bed for a week before her leg wound closed up. But here she was, ready to get up and go just a bit over a day later. A rustle of covers to her right dragged her out of her thoughts and brought her attention to a stirring Yang.

Ruby had been right in the end. Yang had been cleared to return to their room at the end of the day. But it had been late, and Ms. Iola had offered, rather forcefully, to let her stay one more night in the infirmary, so she could rest as much as possible. Yang had accepted, begrudgingly, but it had given Weiss a good opportunity. She had a few questions, and with Ruby elsewhere, Yang was the next best choice.

"'Bout time you woke up you lazy brute," Weiss said flatly.

Had it been anyone else, Yang might have knocked them into next year just for saying that. It was early, and she was by no means a morning person. But as it was Weiss, Yang let it slide, sitting up as she prepared a reply. "As if Princess. This has got to be the only time you have woken up before me."

"In your dreams. As if I could sleep through your racket. You snore like a damn dragon."

"Then you better watch out, or you might get burned."

"Please, your nothing but hot air."

"Oh, how cruel. You've got a heart of _Weiss_."

"You've been sitting on that one, haven't you?"

"Hey, a good pun is its own re-word."

"That's it, I'm telling Blake."

The two girls looked at each other, light grins touching their lips. It wasn't quite their best back and forth, but they were in the infirmary. They could excuse a little bit of slacking off.

"Yang, I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, what a surprise, the Princess wants to get serious."

"I am serious. It's about what Ruby said."

Yang's smile fell slightly, but she didn't look away. "Which part?"

"About her mother. And about living in the woods."

Yang sighed and laid back down, putting her hands behind her head. "Well, I guess that makes sense, but it's not my place to tell. I don't even know the full story. All I know is, one day they both went out, and something happened. Summer was killed, by the White Fang apparently, and Ruby was never quite the same again."

"But why? Why would the White Fang go after them? Wasn't her mother a Faunus? Since you're not, and you have different last names, I'm assuming you share a human father and different mothers."

"There you go, using that logic again. Yeah, she was. But as to why, I don't know. Ruby always was pretty quiet about it. But despite what happened, Ruby refused to move in with us. She said she preferred that little cottage that she had shared with Summer. Not that she hated us. Quite the opposite. She visited often. Especially to get training from our Uncle. But she never stayed. She always seemed to be on the move. I guess that makes sense now."

"But what about that cottage? How could your father let her stay there alone?"

"It's not like he could stop her. She's a wolf Faunus, faster than sound, and trained to be one of the best. And to top it off, she was a survivalist. She could go out and live in the woods at any time she wanted, easily avoiding any unwanted confrontations."

"Wait, she was already trained? At 10?"

"Summer believed in starting early, and so did our dad. It's a dangerous world, and they wanted to make sure we would stay safe. When I was 10, I was already getting scouted by schools like Signal, hoping to get me on their team for the Brawler section of tournaments. Ruby didn't get the attention I did, but that's because she did everything she could to stay out of the spotlight."

"So your dad left her to her own devices?"

"No, but he did give her freedom. We checked in on her frequently. Made sure she was alright. Made sure the cottage wasn't gonna fall in on her. Not that that mattered. It was lived in, but barely. It seemed like she spent much more time away from home than in it. To many dark memories I guess."

"Then what about 4 year ago? You said that she just left. That she was living in the forest. Is that true?"

"Yeah, it is. She even told me herself. It doesn't hurt that she's a wolf Faunus. The forest will always call to her, I guess it was just stronger then than it is now."

"But how? How did she survive?"

"Like I said, she was a survivalist. She could easily live off the land and in the tree tops. I don't know the details, but I do know this. The area she settled in was once the most Grimm infested area near the kingdom. In the few years since then, it was cleared of Grimm, and most of the beasts won't go near it. They know whose territory it is, and they know better than to mess with it. There are people considering building out there now."

"But all that time, she was fighting the White Fang. Fighting a war that apparently, we don't even know the extent of."

"Yeah, I guess she was. Look, you're not the only one with questions, and I don't have the answers. If you want to know more, you better ask her yourself."

"Oh don't worry, I plan to." And Weiss leaned back once again, squinting at the obscenely bright light. When she was out of here, she would make sure to get all the information out of Ruby she could. There was so little she knew about her partner. It was something she needed to fix.

* * *

><p>"Professor Ozpin, we need to get you to a safe place, now."<p>

"Quite right, you are in danger here."

"Please, let's just get out of this room. It's already been compromised."

Ozpin sat at his desk, head in his hands, surrounded by the staff of Beacon. They had slowly been piling in since Ruby had pulled her disappearing act. None of them seemed to have any concept of how to calmly open a door, as the knob had long since punched through drywall on the opposite side.

It crashed open once more as another wave of staff clamored into the room. This one consisted of the remaining teachers and security that lived off campus or were off for the night, delaying their arrival until the airship arrived. The air was filled with "Headmaster!" and "Professor Ozpin!" as the new intruders made their entrance. Glynda silently slipped in with them, sliding behind the desk and handing Ozpin a new cup of coffee.

"Why are you still here?! Haven't you heard the alert?!"

"What happened to your window?! Were you attacked?!"

Despite the pressure, Ozpin refused to crack. He sat at his desk, calmly sipping his fresh coffee and looking out over the crowd. "Thank you Glynda. Is it safe to assume this is everyone?"

"It is sir. I've been keeping a kind of role as they've made their way here. Everyone is accounted for."

And it was apparent as the staff surrounded Ozpin's desk. By no means was Beacon's facility as small group, and it was only made larger when you brought the security teams out of the shadows. Easily 50 people crowded in front of Ozpin's desk, intent protecting him from a danger that had already passed.

"All of you can calm down now," Ozpin began, his calm voice carrying over the worried shouts. "Yes, I am quite aware of the situation. Yes, there was an attack. No, I am not in any immediate danger. And no, I'm not going anywhere. Currently, at least three hunter leaders lay dead, and I have no intention of hiding under a rock while this is happening. This is still the most secure room in the building besides the bunkers, and as I said, I have no intention of cowering there. I need to be here for the students."

"Most secure room?" a random female voice shouted. "Sir, that window is blown out! It's supposed to be 2 inch thick bulletproof glass, and it's shattered!"

"Once again, I am aware of the situation. However…" Ozpin paused as he reached under his desk and flipped a small switch, something that could be easily be mistaken as a small piece of wood splintering away from the leg as is ran down from the metal frame. Instantly, the clatter of shutters thundered through the crowded office, and metal slammed down in front of the windows. The door swung shut, and it too had metal come crashing down in front of it. All the shouting died down as the staff looked around in shock at the sudden change to the open office. Once it had been lit by natural light. Now, only the lights mixed in with the gears in the ceiling brightened the office. "I have it under control. This will remain the most secure building on campus. The ceiling, walls, and shutters are laced with a steel alloy that has the strength to withstand an irradiated dust blast, tested and proven. Just beneath the drywall that you all so mercilessly smashed on your way in here is an additional wall of concrete, 5 feet thick. The hallway on the way here isn't just for show. It's lined with more sensors and camera's than you can hope to count in a day. So trust me when I say I am safe."

"But you were already attacked! We saw the glass!" This time a male voice shouted, cracking slightly as he finished.

"That wasn't the attack. That was the rescue. The attack was when someone spiked my coffee with a poison that has yet to be identified. The glass was from when I was stopped from drinking it."

"But who did that? Glynda?" All eyes turned to the blond professor, who simply shook her head.

"No, I came in a minute later. It was thanks to someone else."

"Then who?" a second male voice asked. "And where are they now?"

"Maybe if you looked around, you would have noticed them already," the level, electronic voice drifted across the room, seeming to come from everywhere.

Instantly, the entire staff reached for their weapons, looking about for the new speaker. But as they searched desperately, they found nothing at all, just empty darkness barely touched by the dim lights of Ozpin's office. A few panicked even more at this new development and formed a circle around the Professor, facing out as they searched for the supposed threat.

"Please, if I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it when you all came bursting into the office without even glancing around." Ruby had to force herself to maintain character and not laugh at the ridiculous antics of the teachers as they all spun around and jumped away from her. She leapt over the railing and easily landed before the hunters. Now, she stood between the staff and the shutters that covered the door, and that did nothing to ease their fears.

"Must you make an entrance like that? They're liable to shoot you if you keep this up," Ozpin said from his desk, head once again buried in his hands.

"Headmaster, what is this? Who is this person, and why do they speak with a voice disguiser?" the first female voice asked, barely managing to keep the fear out of their voice.

"I will handle this," Glynda said while stepping forward. The staff expected the combat instructor to lash out at the figure, so their surprise when she stood next to them and turned about was almost comical. Ruby once again had to hold back a laugh, and even Glynda stifled a smile. "You all know who this is, even if not personally. And they know all of you. Over the last few years, unofficially, they have been one of the top hunter agent's against the White Fang, and single handedly held back the tide of war as the White Fang has grown."

A few murmurs drifted through the air at this. Most was lost to the ears of those informed, but a few comment broke through the chatter.

"One of our top agents?"

"I don't recognize them."

"Is that Qrow?"

"No, Qrow wears black."

"I think he has some red."

"It doesn't matter, he's a teacher at Signal. He would need an airship to get here within the hour."

"What does she mean, unofficial?"

"However," Glynda continued, ignoring the chatter. "You may know them as the Reaper."

At first there was silence. Teachers stared on as they faced the vigilante they had only heard about. Some had hunted them in the past, but they had never gotten close. Yet there they were, standing before them, criticizing them for not noticing sooner. Then the shouting started once again.

"What do you mean, hunter agent?! They're a vigilante!"

"What are they doing here?!"

"How can we trust them?!"

"And what do you mean, they know all of us?!"

Ruby had had enough, and held her hand up. Instantly, the crowd fell silent. A few held their weapons closer, but no one made a move. "What she says is true. I am the Reaper, and I work with the hunters. I've seen each and every one of your files, and have met all of you personally, even if you didn't know it was me. You don't need to trust me, just trust the man who hired me."

"And who would that idiot be?!" an agitated voice called out, followed with a few cries of agreement.

"I would be that idiot," Ozpin's calm tone once again joined the fray, bringing on a stunned silence that was only broken when Ozpin spoke again, looking directly at Ruby. "Something that was asked earlier did bring a thought to mind that I should ask. How did you break the window, so we can better prepare in the future."

"Easy," Ruby said with a shrug. "Aura laced high impact rounds. Four shot in a square pattern, weakening the glass, and then one at your coffee mug. All hitting near simultaneously. Don't bother preparing for it. I'm one of three people that can even prepare such ammo, and I'm the only one who can shoot like that."

"Alright then." All eyes were still locked on Ozpin in stunned silence, too shocked to even hear what was being said. All they had heard was the Ozpin had hired the Reaper, and then it became too much to process. The only thing that snapped them out of it was Glynda snapping her crop again the desk. Her eyes narrowed as she looked around at them, before nodding at Ozpin.

"Well, Reaper," Ozpin continued, "I believe you have something's to ask of us?"

"I do. I need a certain team added to my alert list. I want them informed on issues at the same time as me. Ozpin, you know who they are. Second, I am going to train some students. They need to be prepared for what's coming, and quite honestly, I'm the only one here that can do that. Ozpin, again, you know how and why. I'll deliver the list of who later. You can decide if you want it in a classroom setting or privately. Third, I need to speak to those two captives, Bear and Lion. They have information that will be useful in the near future. I'll let myself in after I deal with something first. The last piece is something you'll want to know. In the time that you gathered here, I looked into the attacks that are happening. They haven't taken credit yet, and I doubt they will, but I have confirmed through my sources that the White Fang is responsible. As to how the poison got in your coffee, the coffee shop you bought the beans from had one of its attendants not come in today. Or the day before. When I ran their face through my program, they came up White Fang. On top of that, they were far more successful that we had originally thought. Ironwood survived, but he is now in a coma and shows no signs of waking soon. He was attacked by his own mechs, apparently hacked. The other two headmasters were previously confirmed dead, one with poison on the butt of a cigar, the other jumped while walking along the forest edge. However, before we only thought one field general was dead. Now we have confirmed that all 4 lay slain. Each one attacked or poisoned similarly. Even the hunter commander has fallen victim to the attacks. The enemy was well versed on their habits and traditions, and used them to their advantage. Professor, you are now the sole leader of the hunters."

A shocked murmur rippled through the gathered teachers, shocked at what they had just heard. So much death, and it wasn't even noon. What else could today bring? Once again, Ozpin was the one to speak out over the hushed voices, turning heads in the process. "Alright, I'll get you whatever you need. You are the expert on the matter."

Several voices rose in protest. They weren't quite ready to accept this cloaked figure as an ally.

"But sir, this is the Reaper!"

"A vigilante! Someone who has no regard for the law!"

"How can we trust them so easily?! Especially with our students!"

"I don't care what is said about them, but they have no place here!"

Despite the unrest, Ruby didn't miss a beat. "Understood, _Commander_ Ozpin. You know where to find me." She jumped back over the railing and walked over to the broken window and knelt next to the shutter. With a flick of her wrist, the shutter violently rose, and then fell. By the time it crashed down, she had stepped out into the nothing, feeling the wind whip against her face and try unsuccessfully to throw her hood back. She landed easily at the base of the building, surprising a couple that was out for a morning stroll. Without saying a word, she glided into the garden to find Blake. It was already shaping up to be a long day, and she would need some help.

* * *

><p><strong>I just can not get into a pattern. Of course, I did end up having to move furniture. A lot of it. Kind of a motivation killer there. But I am now far away from that all. 2 states away in fact. With classes starting back up, I may now finally have the motivation to write! I know, that sounds backwards. But that's just how I work. So cross your fingers and hope I get my shit together.<strong>

**Sorry bout that little rant, but I've been staring at this screen for a few hours and am going a little crazy. But I hope you enjoy it anyways. As I mentioned before, I've been working on ideas for a second story to do. Unfortunately, I've made literally no progress with that. But I have plans. It's better than nothing. I'll let you know how that might end up going. But besides that, thanks for reading!**

**There is one thing I wanted to say real quick. Thank you, to all of you, who have been reviewing. It really does mean a lot to me. I've told a couple of you that already, but I just want you all to know that I like knowing what you think. Your opinions do matter to me. Really. So thanks.**

**What do you call a clown whose in jail? A silicon.**


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